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Keeping Dido
by
Brendan Desilets
Played 5,584 times
View game source
(spoilers!)
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.z8 file
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The story title is "Keeping Dido". The story author is "by Nahum Tate (1652-1715) and Brendan Desilets". Use no scoring. Use the serial comma. Use full-length room descriptions. [Exit Lister by Eric Eve is an Inform 7 Extension. It begins here.] Chapter 1 - Exit Lister Includes Include Basic Screen Effects by Emily Short. Chapter 2 - Exit Lister Setup Section 1 - Apparent A room has a text called destination name. The destination name of a room is usually "". A door can be apparent. A door is usually apparent. A room can be apparent. A room is usually apparent. Section 2 - Dark Stuff dark-exits-invisible is a truth state that varies. dark-exits-invisible is true. The light-meter is a privately-named scenery thing. Definition: a room (called the target room) is light-filled: if the target room is lighted, decide yes; move the light-meter to the target room; if the light-meter can see a lit thing, decide yes; remove the light-meter from play; decide no. Definition: a room (called target-destination) is darkness-occluded: if dark-exits-invisible is false, decide no; if not in darkness, decide no; decide on whether or not target-destination is not light-filled. Chapter 3 - Exit Lister Tables The status exit table is a table-name that varies. The status exit table is the Table of Exit Status. The standard status table is a table-name that varies. The standard status table is the Table of Standard Status. Table of Exit Status left central right " [left hand status line]" "" "[right hand status line]" " [exit list]" "" "" Table of Standard Status left central right " [left hand status line]" "" "[right hand status line]" Chapter 4 - Exit Lister Rules Rule for constructing the status line (this is the exit lister status line rule): if exit listing is enabled, fill status bar with the status exit table; otherwise fill status bar with the standard status table; rule succeeds. To say exit list: let exits count be 0; let farplace be location; say "Exits: "; repeat with way running through directions begin; let farplace be the room way from the location; now direction-object is the room-or-door way from the location; if direction-object is apparent and farplace is not darkness-occluded begin; increase the exits count by 1; if farplace is unvisited and indicate-unvisited is show-unvisited, say "[unvisited-mark][u-v way][end-unvisited-mark]"; otherwise say "[way]"; say " "; end if; end repeat; if exits count is 0, say "[italic type][no-exits][roman type]". To say no-exits: say "None". Chapter 5 - Exit Lister Values A listing_state is a kind of value. The listing_states are enabled and disabled. Exit listing is a listing_state that varies. Exit Listing is enabled. A visiting-mark is a kind of value. The visiting-marks are show-unvisited and dont-show-unvisited. indicate-unvisited is a visiting-mark that varies. indicate-unvisited is show-unvisited. The direction-object is an object that varies. Chapter 6 - Exit Lister Actions Section 1 - ExitStarting and ExitStopping ExitStarting is an action out of world. ExitStopping is an action out of world. Carry out ExitStopping (this is the standard Exit Stopping rule): now exit listing is disabled. Report ExitStopping: clear only the status line; say "Exit listing is now off." Understand "exits off" as ExitStopping. Understand "exits on" as ExitStarting. Carry out ExitStarting (this is the standard Exit Starting rule): now exit listing is enabled. Report ExitStarting: say "Exit listing is now on."; Section 2- ExitListing ExitListing is an action out of world. Understand "exits" as ExitListing. Carry out ExitListing (this is the standard carry out exit listing rule): list the exits. [ This is defined as a separate phrase so that it can be called from user code, e.g. to replace the standard "You can't go that way" message. ] To list the exits: let exits count be 0; let farplace be location; repeat with way running through directions begin; let farplace be the room way from the location; now direction-object is the room-or-door way from the location; if the direction-object is apparent and farplace is not darkness-occluded, increase exits count by 1; end repeat; if exits count is 0 begin; say "[no-obvious-exits]"; rule fails; end if; let i be exits count; if exits count is 1, say "The only obvious exit is "; otherwise say "The obvious exits are "; repeat with way running through directions begin; let farplace be the room way from the location; now direction-object is the room-or-door way from the location; if direction-object is apparent and farplace is not darkness-occluded begin; say "[way]"; if farplace is visited, say " (to [destname farplace])"; decrease i by 1; if i is 0, say "."; if i is 1, say " and "; if i > 1, say ", "; end if; end repeat. To say list the exits: list the exits. To say no-obvious-exits: say "There are no obvious exits." Report ExitListing when listing explained is false (this is the explain exit listing rule): now listing explained is true; say "(Use EXITS ON to enable the status line exit lister and EXITS OFF to turn it off.)" To say destname (place - a room): if the destination name of place is "", say "[the place]" in lower case; otherwise say "[destination name of place]". listing explained is a truth state that varies. Chapter 7 - Exit Lister Indicating Unvisited exit colouring is an action out of world. understand "exit colour/color" as exit colouring. exit-colour-num is a number that varies. exit-colour-num is 1. exit-symbol-num is a number that varies. exit symboling is an action out of world. Understand "exit symbol" as exit symboling. exit-marker is a text that varies. Carry out exit symboling (this is the standard exit symboling rule): increase exit-symbol-num by 1; if exit-symbol-num > the number of rows in the Table of Exit Symbols, now exit-symbol-num is 1; choose row exit-symbol-num in the Table of Exit Symbols; now exit-marker is the exit-symbol entry. Report exit symboling: say "Done." Table of Exit Symbols exit-symbol "" "=" "-" "*" "+" Section 7G (for Glulx Only) exit-symbol-num is 1. exit-marker is "". Carry out exit colouring (this is the standard exit colouring rule): now indicate-unvisited is the visiting-mark after indicate-unvisited. to say unvisited-mark: say "[exit-marker]". to say end-unvisited-mark: say "[exit-marker]". to say u-v (way - a direction): let cap-way be indexed text; now cap-way is "[way]"; say "[cap-way in upper case] ". Section 7Z (for Z-machine only) Carry out exit colouring (this is the standard exit colouring rule): increase exit-colour-num by 1; if exit-colour-num > 4 begin; now exit-colour-num is 0; now indicate-unvisited is dont-show-unvisited; otherwise; now indicate-unvisited is show-unvisited; end if. Report exit colouring: say "Done." to say unvisited-mark: if exit-colour-num is 1 begin; turn the background red; otherwise if exit-colour-num is 2; turn the background yellow; otherwise if exit-colour-num is 3; turn the background blue; otherwise; turn the background green; end if; say "[exit-marker]". to say end-unvisited-mark: say "[exit-marker][default letters]". exit-symbol-num is 1. exit-marker is "". to say u-v (way - a direction): say "[way]". [Exit Lister ends here.] The Story description is "After watching Dido, your sister, suffer for many lonely years under the burdens of ruling, and even building, the great city of Carthage, you've urged her to accept the only lover who seems to interest her. He's Aeneas, an exiled Trojan prince, and he's openly proclaimed his undying love. Dido seemed receptive to your urging, but was it really a good idea to promote the amorous ambitions of an epic wanderer?" [Rooms] The Palace Knoll is south of the Path. The description of the Palace Knoll is "A secluded green knoll, with a park bench, near the stately Palace of Dido, the Queen of Carthage. An overgrown path leads north." The description of the Path is "[if visited]A simple path, leading toward a dark, craggy area to the north. You can also follow another path to the east.[otherwise]You enter a simple path, branching toward a dark, craggy area to the north and a lovely forest to the east; however, immediately after leaving the Palace Knoll, you are attacked by a pack of vicious hounds. In most ways, they look like pretty typical hunting dogs, but they seem weirdly intent on harming you. Even their yelping sounds odd -- an unnatural, keening noise. [end if]" Instead of going west in the path, say "To your west is an impenetrable, thorny thicket, looking much like an English hawthorn bush." The Cave is north of the Path. The cave is dark. The description of the cave is "A dank and dismal cave. You can exit to the south or west." The Hidden Nook is west of the Cave. The description of the Hidden Nook is "This area is little more than an indentation in the wall of the Cave. It looks as though the cave opens out a bit to the west." The Hidden Nook is dark. The Lair of the Sorcerer is a room. It is west of the Nook. The Description of the Lair of the Sorcerer is "[if visited]A dank and dismal cave, with a weird altar at its center.[otherwise]You've entered a large and dismal chamber, with a weird altar at its center. Behind the altar, you see a strangely androgynous person in the garb of a Sorcerer. You slip into the shadows, where you may be able to observe the scene without being detected, and you cover your light source for the moment, since the walls of this place seem to be glowing. Soon the Magician sings, in a weirdly exaggerated falsetto. 'Wayward sisters, you that fright[line break] The lonely traveler by night,[line break] Who like dismal ravens crying[line break] Beat the windows of the dying,[line break] Appear at my call, and share in the fame[line break] Of a mischief to make all Carthage flame.[line break] Appear, appear!'[paragraph break] Apparently in response to this invocation, a familiar pack of hounds, now eerily quiet, rushes into the cave. With a wave of the Sorcerer's hand, they writhe in agony and morph grotesquely into a troupe of bizarre women, fantastically tattooed with obscure mythic symbols." The Grove is east of the Path. The description of the grove is "A lovely grove, consisting mostly of birch trees, in an idyllic part of the forest. One pine tree is particularly prominent here. There's a majestic mountain nearby, and a natural spring-fed fountain graces the center of the Grove. You can leave the Grove to the east or west." The Beach is east of the Grove. The description of the Beach is "Here the waves of the Mediterranean wash the shore.[if the ships are in the Beach] Aeneas[apostrophe] mighty fleet is here. The fleet is always quite well guarded, but the security force must be on board the vessels, which are anchored about a hundred yards offshore. They seem to have taken the fleet's dinghies with them, and so you can't reach the ships from here. However, the guards seem to have left a smoldering campfire behind. [end if]" [Characters] Instead of examining the player, say "You are Belinda, the younger sister of Dido, the Queen of Carthage. Though your official duties are few, you have taken on the informal role of head of security for your beloved sister." Dido is a woman. Dido is in the Palace Knoll. The description of Dido is "The dignified, statuesque queen and your much-loved sister. A kind person, but a serious and even-handed ruler, who brooks no nonsense. And very passionate, indeed, about anyone she loves." Aeneas is a man. Aeneas is in the Palace Knoll. The description of Aeneas is "A short, athletic man, filled with 'gravitas.' (In fact, he looks as if he thinks that the word was invented for him, and he may be right.) Still, you've known him to laugh pretty easily, and to cry, too." The Magician is a man. The Magician is in the Lair of the Sorcerer. The description of the Magician is "A weird blend of man, woman, and gorilla, looking more or less like an obese man, sounding like a relatively young woman, and moving with a strange, simian grace." Understand "Mercury/Sorceror" as the Magician. Instead of attacking the Magician: if the Magician is not defeated: say "You try to assault the Sorcerer, but, with a wave of his hand, he transforms you into a newt. Unfortunately, in your amphibious form, you cannot help your sister."; end the story saying "But why not try again?"; if the Magician is defeated: say "[if the player carries the branch]Wielding your trusty branch, you go after the Sorcerer.[end if]The Magician, shorn of his power, surrenders meekly."; now the Magician is finished. The enchantresses are women in the Lair of Sorcerer. The enchantresses are plural-named. The description of the enchantresses is "A group of young women, about a dozen in number, all wearing dark robes covered with magical symbols. Indeed, some of the symbols seem to be tattooed onto the women themselves. The enchantresses look pale and threatening, but they sing seductively, with tremulous soprano voices." Understand "women" as the enchantresses. The attendants are women. They are plural-named. The description of the attendants is "The gentlewomen of Dido's court, famously devoted to the queen." Understand "gentlewomen/ladies" as the attendants. Some hounds are animals in the Path. They are plural-named. The description of the hounds is "A pack of vicious hounds, clearly bent on attacking you for no apparent reason. There's something unnatural about these dogs, perhaps in their strange singleness of purpose." Understand "hound/dog/dogs" as the hounds. The sailors are men. Then are plural-named. The description of the sailors is "Twenty sailors from Aeneas' fleet. They are a jolly seafaring lot, but very serious about guarding and staffing their ships.[if the sailors are enchanted] The sailors seem rather distracted now, as if they are under the influence of a spell.[end if]" [Rules] When play begins: now the right hand status line is "Turn Count: [turn count]"; say "While walking on the Palace grounds, near a grassy knoll, you notice a shadowy figure slipping away at your approach, apparently dropping something as it flees. You have no idea which way the figure went, but, walking toward the knoll, where the shadow seemed to be, you can't help but overhear your sister Dido, the Queen of Carthage, as she speaks to her guest, Prince Aeneas, of the fallen city of Troy. From your location near a park bench, you can hear them quite well and can even catch glimpses of them now and then, but they probably can't see you.[paragraph break](Right now, first-time readers of this story should probably type[line break]ABOUT.)[paragraph break]" Instead of going northwest in the location, say "In this simple tale, you need only four directions for movement, north, south, east, and west." Instead of going northeast in the location, say "In this story, you need only four directions for movement, north, south, east, and west." Instead of going southeast in the location, say "In this story, you never need to go southeast. You need only four directions for movement, north, south, east, and west." Instead of going southwest in the location, say "In this simple story, you need only four directions for movement, north, south, east, and west." Grabbing is an action applying to one thing. Understand "grab [something]" as grabbing. Understand "arrest [something]" as grabbing. Instead of grabbing the Magician, try attacking the Magician. Instead of touching the campfire for the first time, say "You burn yourself a little, but withdraw your hand quickly enough to avoid serious injury." Instead of touching the campfire for the second time, say "Now your hand really hurts!" Instead of touching the campfire for the third time: say "You touch the fire once again, and burn yourself so severely that you can no longer continue your efforts to save your sister."; end the story saying "You have failed to save Dido, but why not try again?" Didotopic is a kind of value. Dido has Didotopic. The Didotopics are Mage, attack, and blank. The Didotopic of Dido is Mage. Instead of talking to Dido: if Tryst is happening, say "You think about addressing your sister but decide not to interrupt her tryst with Aeneas."; if Grovedance is happening: if Dido is alerted: if Didotopic of Dido is Mage: say "As inconspicuously as possible, you tell Dido about what you saw in the Magician's cave. She seems shocked and concerned."; now Didotopic of Dido is attack; stop the action; if Didotopic of Dido is attack: say "Very quietly, you tell Dido about the way the Magicians' hounds attacked you. You also explain that the Sorcerer's choice of dogs as attackers backfired on him when Aeneas came by in his stag costume.[paragraph break]'Yes, Aeneas told me about that,' Dido whispers. 'The dogs chased him only a short distance, though, and he didn't seem to have seen anything unnatural about them.'"; now Didotopic of Dido is blank; stop the action; continue the action. Instead of talking to the Magician: if Cursing is happening: say "You observe that, from the perspective of seventeenth-century British Protestants like the composer Henry Purcell and poet Nahum Tate, the Sorcerer's ritual seems a lot like a Roman Catholic rite, and you express that opinion with some eloquence. The Magician responds to your anachronistic remark by transforming you into a sundial."; end the story saying "You have failed to save your sister, but why not try again?"; if Grovedance is happening: if the Magician is in the Grove: say "You decide that speaking to the Magician would be needlessly dangerous right now."; stop the action; say "You can't see the Magician right now."; if Shipcurse is happening: say "You see no point in conversing the the Magician right now."; stop the action; say "You have nothing useful to say to the Magician right now." Instead of talking to Aeneas: if Grovedance is happening: say "You can't really talk to Aeneas right now, with all that's going on.[if the Magician is in the Grove] Besides, the powerful and hostile Magician would probably dispatch you if you spoke now.[end if]"; if Tryst is happening: say "You think about speaking up, but you decide not to interrupt the conversation between Aeneas and your sister." Instead of attacking Dido, say "Over the years, you've occasionally been exasperated with your sister/queen, but you see no reason to harm her now." Instead of throwing something at Dido, say "Over the years, you've occasionally been exasperated with your sister/queen, but you see no reason to harm her now." Instead of attacking Aeneas, say "You're not inclined to attack the exile prince, though you do have your doubts about his loyalty to your sister." Instead of throwing something at Aeneas, say "You're not inclined to attack the exile prince, though you have your doubts about him as a lover for Dido." Instead of throwing something at the Magician: if the Magician is not defeated: say "You try to assault the Sorcerer, but, with a wave of his hand, he transforms you into a newt. Unfortunately, in your amphibious form, you cannot help your sister."; end the story saying "But why not try again?"; if the Magician is defeated: say "The Magician, shorn of his power, surrenders meekly." Instead of throwing the jerky at the Magician: if Grovedance is happening: if the Magician is in the grove: say "You throw the jerky at the Magician. It lands in the crown of his helmet."; now the jerky is in the crown; if Cursing is happening: say "You throw the jerky at the Sorcerer, thus calling attention to yourself. With a wave of his hand, the Magician transforms you into a centipede."; end the story saying "You have failed to save your sister, but why not try again?"; if Shipcurse is happening: say "You throw the jerky at the Magician, this enabling him to pick you out from the rest of the soldiers. Since the enchantresses are not in their raven form right now, they do not rise to the jerky bait, and, with a wave of his hand, the Sorcerer transforms you into a garden snail."; end the story saying "You have failed to save Dido. Why not try again?"; Instead of eating the jerky, say "The jerky looks vaguely edible, for some creatures at least, but you can't quite bring yourself to force it down." Instead of going east in the Palace Knoll, say "The underbrush is a bit too thick in that direction." Instead of going west in the Palace Knoll, say "You walk west and explore a wooded area for a while, but, finding nothing of interest, you return to the knoll." Before taking the helmet: if the helmet is on the altar: say "The helmet won't move, resisting absolutely, as if magically locked down."; stop the action. Instead of burning the lamp: if the Player is in the Beach: say "You light the candle, using the small cooking fire."; now the lamp is lit; otherwise: say "You have no flame available for lighting the lantern right now." Instead of going south in the Palace Knoll, say "You move to the Entry Hall of the Palace and take a look around, but, finding nothing of interest, you return to the Palace Knoll." Instead of taking the hounds, say "These beasts are far too large and vicious for carrying." Instead of going north in the Path: if the hounds are in the Path: say "The vicious hounds prevent your exit to the north."; if the hounds are not in the Path: move the player to the Cave. Before going east in the Path: if the hounds are in the Path: say "The vicious hounds prevent your going east."; stop the action. Before going south in the Path: if the hounds are in the Path: say "The vicious hounds prevent your going south."; stop the action. Instead of taking the pine pitch: if the player carries the pine pitch: say "You already have the pine pitch."; stop the action; say "You pick up a small twig from the ground and use it to collect the pine pitch."; move the pine pitch to the player. Instead of going south in the Path: if the hounds are in the path: say "The dogs keep you from going toward the palace grounds."; if the hounds are not in the Path: move the player to the Palace Knoll. The list of subjects is a list of objects that varies. The list of subjects is {magic}. magic is a thing. light is a thing. helmet is a thing. scrolls is a thing. glue is a thing. [Let topics be {"magic"}; add "jerky" to topics; say "Now, the legible topics in the hint booklet are "; say topics] Instead of attacking the hounds: if the player carries the branch: say "You find that, using the branch, you can keep the pack at bay, for a while, at least."; now the hounds are careful; if the player does not carry the branch: say "You can't attack these vicious dogs without a weapon of some sort." An every turn rule: if the Player has been in the Path for at least five turns: if the hounds are careful: if the hounds are in the Path: say "The vicious pack is suddenly distracted by an odd creature that runs past them, from south to north. Is it a deer? No. As it flashes past you, you can see that it has only two legs. Whatever it is, the dogs immediately forget about you and pursue it![paragraph break]"; if the player carries the hint booklet: say "Hmm. It looks as though the perspiration you developed during the fight with the dogs (or perhaps some odd magic emanating from the mystical hounds) has revealed something previously hidden in the hint booklet. The new topic seems to be 'light.'[paragraph break]"; add light to list of subjects; say "Now, the legible topics in the hint booklet are "; say list of subjects; say "."; now the hounds are off-stage; if the hounds are not careful: say "Finally, the nasty dogs move in and finish you off.[paragraph break]Unfortunately, you've not managed to help your beloved sister this time. Her dignified but fickle boyfriend leaves her to found the City of Rome, and she takes her own life, inspiring huge volumes of purple prose, the best by the Roman poet Virgil."; end the game saying "But why not try again?" Before burning the player: if the player carries the lamp: if the lamp is lit: say "You immolate yourself, much as your sister will end her own life. Perhaps if you tried again, you should prevent both suicides."; end the game in death. Instead of eating the carrion, say "You try to consume some of the carrion, but the taste is just too revolting." Instead of taking the carrion box, say "That's bolted to the floor." Instead of taking the left scroll, say "The scroll refuses to move in any way. It seems to be magically locked in place." Instead of taking the right scroll, say "The scroll refuses to move in any way. It seems to be magically locked in place." Instead of burning a scroll: if the player carries the lamp: if the lamp is lighted: say "The scrolls seem to be fireproof."; otherwise: say "You have no source of flame at the moment." [Values] The Magician can be triumphant. The Magician is not triumphant. The Magician can be prophetic. The Magician is not prophetic. The Magician can be humiliated. The Magician is not humiliated. The Magician can be defeated. The Magician is not defeated. The Magician can be powerless. The Magician is not powerless. The Magician can be finished. The Magician is not finished. The Magician can be captured. The Magician is not captured. Dido can be alerted. Dido is not alerted. The hounds can be careful. The hounds are not careful. The sailors can be enchanted. The sailors are not enchanted. [Scenes] [Tryst] Tryst is a scene. Tryst begins when play begins. Tryst ends when Dido is off-stage. The bench is an enterable supporter. The description of the bench is "A simple park bench." The bench is in the Palace Knoll. Instead of going north when Tryst is happening, say "You consider exploring the path to the north, but decide to wait until the conversation between Aeneas and Dido is over." Instead of kissing Dido: if Dido is in the Knoll: say "It seems that, for now, you should probably focus on listening to the conversation between Dido and Aeneas."; otherwise: say "This doesn't seem to be right time for that sort of affectionate display." Instead of kissing Aeneas: say "Aeneas is attractive enough, but you decide to leave your sister's lover alone." Instead of answering: say "To talk to another character, type TALK TO, followed by the character's name." An every turn rule: if Tryst has been happening for exactly one turn, say "Dido says, in her usual, poetic way,[line break]'Shake the cloud from off your brow,[line break] Fate your wishes does allow;[line break] Empire growing,[line break] Pleasures flowing,[line break] Fortune smiles and so should you.[paragraph break] Whence has your great virtue sprung?[line break] What storms, what battles have you sung?[line break] Your father's valour mixt with Venus[apostrophe] charms,[line break] How soft in peace, and yet how fierce in arms!'" An every turn rule: if Tryst has been happening for exactly two turns, say "Aeneas replies, 'When, Royal Fair, shall I be blest[line break] With your sweet love and end distress?'" An every turn rule: if Tryst has been happening for exactly three turns, say "Dido, as she has in the past, reminds Aeneas of the prophecy that he must sail on Italy. 'Fate forbids what you pursue.'[paragraph break] But Aeneas surprises her with an answer that she has, as far as you know, not heard before,[line break] 'Aeneas has no fate but you![line break] Let Dido smile and I'll defy[line break] The feeble stroke of Destiny.'" An every turn rule: if Tryst has been happening for exactly four turns: say "Dido hesitates for a long moment, perhaps remembering your suggestion that she accept Aeneas[apostrophe] love. Then, she smiles with glorious abandon, and the happy couple heads off toward the Palace to the south, joking about a dramatic performance that some members of the court are planning for later today. The new lovers are planning to play the title roles in an outdoor performance of the Actaeon and Diana story.[paragraph break]Dido and Aeneas head toward the Palace to the south."; now Dido is off-stage; now Aeneas is off-stage; [Cursing] Cursing is a scene. Cursing begins when the player is in the Lair of the Sorcerer for the first time. Cursing ends when the Magician is triumphant. Instead of going east in the Lair of the Sorcerer: if Cursing is happening: say "This place offers the best view of the strange ceremony, and you're interesting in seeing the ritual to the end."; stop the action; continue the action. Before taking the helmet: if Cursing is happening: say "You can't get to the helmet right now, as the Magician and the enchantresses are pretty well surrounding the altar."; stop the action. Before taking something: if Cursing is happening: say "You can't get to [the noun] right now, as the Magician and the enchantresses are pretty well surrounding the altar."; stop the action. An every turn rule: If Cursing has been happening for exactly one turn, say "The enchantresses chant 'Oh, Beldame, what's thy will?[line break]Harm's our delight and mischief all our skill.'" An every turn rule: If Cursing has been happening for exactly two turns, say "The Magician now sings, in a mocking falsetto,[paragraph break] 'The Queen of Carthage, whom we hate,[line break] As we do all in prosp'rous state,[line break] Ere sunset shall most wretched prove,[line break] Deprived of fame, of life and love.'[paragraph break] The enchantresses now seem to lapse into a trance, apparently staring at a vision of some sort. In fact, you can see the vision, too. It's a representation of your sister, dying on a burning pyre, lamenting the loss of her lover Aeneas. The picture itself is not especially realistic -- less so than a typical dream, in fact -- but it does convey a strong sense of inevitability. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the vision is gone." An every turn rule: If Cursing has been happening for exactly three turns, say "The enchantresses sing their ecstatic reply,[line break]'Ruin'd ere the set of sun?[line break]Tell us, how shall this be done?'" An every turn rule: If Cursing has been happening for exactly four turns: say "The lead sorcerer replies, 'The Trojan Prince you know is bound[line break] By Fate to seek Italian ground;[line break] The Queen and he are now in chase.[line break] But when they've done, the magic me,[line break] In form of Mercury,[line break] As sent from Jove, shall chide his stay,[line break] And charge him sail tonight with all his fleet away!' The enchantresses cheer this announcement, but not for long, as another of their leader's mystic gestures transforms them into a flock of angry ravens. Then he leads them out of the cave, leaving you alone.[paragraph break]The altar, of course, is still here. The altar has a helmet and two scrolls on it.[paragraph break]"; if the player carries the hint booklet: say "You notice that a bit of raven guano has landed on the hint booklet, rendering two new topics legible. (Or maybe it was just some stray spellmaking that did the trick. The new topics are 'helmet' and 'scrolls.'"; now the Magician is triumphant; now the Magician is off-stage; now the enchantresses are off-stage; add helmet to the list of subjects. [Grovedance] Grovedance is a scene. Grovedance begins when the player is in the Grove and the Magician is triumphant. Grovedance ends when the Magician is prophetic. An every turn rule: when Grovedance begins: move Aeneas to the Grove; move Dido to the Grove; now the Magician wears the helmet; move the attendants to the Grove; say "As you enter the Grove, you are joined by Aeneas, Dido, and the queen's attendant ladies. They greet you and then set about performing the myth of the hunter Actaeon, who accidentally saw the goddess Diana bathing and, as result, was changed into a stag and torn to pieces by his own hounds.[paragraph break] The gentlewomen sing, in chorus,[line break] 'Thanks to these lonesome vales,[line break] These desert hills and dales,[line break] So fair the game, so rich the sport,[line break] Diana's self might to these woods resort.'[paragraph break] During the singing, Aeneas slips out of the Grove toward the east, while Dido, still clad in royal garb for an informal afternoon, pantomimes the role of Diana." Instead of going east in the Grove: if Grovedance is happening: say "You head off to the Beach briefly, but soon return to the Grove, where much more is going on."; otherwise: move the player to the Beach. Before going west in the Grove: if Grovedance is happening: say "You decide to stay in the Grove, in order to witness the rest of the action here."; stop the action. An every turn rule: if Grovedance has been happening for exactly one turn: say "Now Dido sings, quite well, for a political leader,[line break] 'Oft she visits this lone mountain,[line break] Oft she bathes her in this fountain,[line break] Here Actaeon met his fate,[line break] Pursued by his own hounds.'[paragraph break]Suddenly, Aeneas runs into the Grove from the east, wearing an elaborate elk's head, the same one that distracted the angry dogs so effectively earlier on. He tries to act out Actaeon's sad fate at the jaws of his usually-loyal hounds, but Aeneas can't quite manage the drama and collapses on the ground, laughing uncontrollably." An every turn rule: if Grovedance has been happening for exactly two turns: say "The attendant ladies, now in the role of Actaeon's hounds, begin a faux attack on the fallen Aeneas, but his mirth proves contagious, and they are soon gleefully poking him.[paragraph break]Dido, too, fails to remain in character and starts to have a good laugh for herself, but she quickly notices an unnaturally abrupt change in the weather, and warns,[line break]'The skies are clouded: hark! how thunder[line break] Rends the mountain oaks asunder!'[paragraph break] As Dido makes this declaration, it happens that she is standing quite close to you, near the edge of the clearing. It appears that you could subtly pull her toward the edge of the glade, if you wanted to." Instead of pulling Dido: say "You direct your sister to the edge of the grove. From this vantage point, you can see what's happening in Aeneas[apostrophe] vicinity, but you'll probably be unobserved by others."; now Dido is alerted. An every turn rule: if Grovedance has been happening for exactly four turns: say "An incredibly sudden and violent thunderstorm now invades the grove, causing the attendants[if Dido is not alerted] and Dido[end if] to flee for shelter. But, as suddenly as it began, the storm ends and the Magician, disguised rather convincingly in his Mercury helmet, enters the clearing. Aeneas appears stricken with fear, or, perhaps, with guilt."; move the Magician to the Grove; now the attendants are off-stage; move the Magician to the Grove; if Dido is not alerted: now Dido is off-stage. Before examining the Magician: if Grovedance is happening: say "The Magician is disguised as the god Mercury, largely through the use of a winged helmet. His dramatic girth is concealed, perhaps magically, beneath an elaborate cloak."; stop the action. An every turn rule: if Grovedance has been happening for exactly five turns: say "The Magician declares, with godlike solemnity,[line break] 'Stay, Prince, and hear great Jove's command:[line break] He summons thee this night away.[line break] Tonight thou must forsake this land;[line break] The angry god will brook no longer stay.[line break] Jove commands thee, waste no more[paragraph break] In love's delights those precious hours[line break] Allow'd by th'almighty powers[line break] To gain th'Hesperian shore[line break] And ruin'd Troy restore.'" An every turn rule: if Grovedance has been happening for exactly six turns: say "Aeneas hesitates for a long moment, and then replies, rather unsteadily,[line break] 'Jove's commands shall be obey'd;[line break] Tonight our anchors shall be weigh'd.[line break] But ah! what language can I try,[line break] My injur'd Queen to pacify?[line break] No sooner she resigns her heart[line break]But from her arms I'm forc'd to part.[line break] How can so hard a fate be took?[line break] One night enjoy'd the next forsook.[line break] Yours be the blame, ye gods! for I[line break] Obey your will; but with more ease could die.'" An every turn rule: if Grovedance has been happening for exactly seven turns: if the jerky is not in the crown: say "Now, the Magician makes a showy exit from the Grove, fortunately in a direction that does not reveal your hiding place; and a tearful Aeneas leaves to the east, as well.[if Dido is alerted] A few moments later, Dido follows Aeneas to the east.[end if][line break]"; now Aeneas is off-stage; now the Magician is off-stage; now the Magician is prophetic; now the Magician is triumphant; add glue to list of subjects; if the player carries the hint booklet: say "The rain seems to have revealed a new topic in the hint booklet, or maybe you revealed them my shaking off some the water. Now, the legible topics are "; say list of subjects; say "."; if the jerky is in the crown: say "Now, the Magician begins a showy exit from the Grove, and Aeneas starts to slink away, too; but, suddenly, a flock of enormous ravens invades the clearing and starts to dive-bomb Mercury's helmet. You quickly recognize these birds as the Magician's transformed minions, but they seem so intent on fighting one another for the carrion jerky in their master's helmet that they take no note of anything but their hunger. Before the Magician can react, he's been pelted with a pound or two of guano and looks decidedly un-godlike.[line break] Screeching like a gaggle of startled geese, the Mage and the ravens stumble away to the west.[paragraph break] At first, Aeneas just looks puzzled at this odd turn of events, but soon he seems to understand that he has, in fact, been conversing with an imposter, not with a god. For the second time in the last fifteen minutes, the prince collapses to the ground and howls with glee.[paragraph break][if Dido is alerted]Soon, Dido provides her lover with yet another surprise by emerging from hiding, and the two leave the Grove together, now in calm and serious conversation.[otherwise]Soon, Aeneas recovers his senses, and leaves the Grove to the west.[paragraph break]"; now Dido is off-stage; now Aeneas is off-stage; now the Magician is humiliated; now the Magician is prophetic; now the Magician is off-stage; add glue to list of subjects; if the player carries the hint booklet: say "The rain seems to have revealed something new in the hint booklet, or maybe you uncovered something by shaking off the water. Anyway, the legible topics are now "; say list of subjects; say "."; Shipcurse is a scene. Shipcurse begins when the player is in the Beach and the Magician is prophetic. Shipcurse ends when the Magician is finished. An every turn rule: When shipcurse begins: move the enchantresses to the Beach; move the Magician to the Beach; move the sailors to the Beach; now the sailors are enchanted; say "As you enter the Beach, you see that a number of Aeneas[apostrophe] sailors are just arriving on shore. However, they are not behaving normally in that they seem rather distracted and lethargic. Moving among the men, you notice that someone is entering the area from the west, and you try to blend in among the sailors to observe the new arrival.[paragraph break] Within seconds, the Magician and his enchantresses stride onto the beach, apparently unconcerned about the sailors. They do not seem to notice you.[paragraph break] The Magician declares,[line break] 'Our next motion[line break] Must be to curse these sailors on the ocean.[line break] From the ruin of others our pleasures we borrow;[line break] Dido bleeds tonight, and Aeneas drowns tomorrow!'[paragraph break] The Magician then produces a scroll from his robe, and begins to read some magical gobbledygook from it. You notice that the scroll sports a small label.[paragraph break][if the sticker is on the right scroll] Suddenly, the sailors seem to regain their senses and become aware of the Magician's presence. The Magician, meanwhile, utters a curse on which he apparently wasn't planning.[paragraph break] 'The power of this scroll surely should have been tragic,[line break]but somehow it's confounded and dispelled my magic!'[otherwise]The Magician casts his evil spell and promptly vanishes." An every turn rule: if Shipcurse is happening: if the sticker is on the right scroll: now the Magician is powerless; now the Magician is defeated; if the sticker is not on the right scroll: now the Magician is off-stage; now the Magician is finished. An every turn rule: if Shipcurse has been happening for exactly one turn: if the Magician is powerless: say "The sailors, now very much aware of the Magician and his minions, round up the Enchantresses and march them toward the Palace. The Magican's minions, who now seem defenseless in the absence of their master's magic go quietly.[paragraph break]The Magician, however, seems to be avoiding the sailors with some agility and may be about to escape."; An every turn rule: If Shipcurse has ended: if the Magician is not humiliated: if the Magician is not powerless: say "And so the Magician has completed his cursing of Dido and Aeneas. Dido soon passes away, partly as a result of her lost love. She does not actually immolate herself -- that was a Virgilian embellishment of the story -- but she does suffer a great loss and does not much wish to go on.[paragraph break]At the end, she says to you, [line break]'Thy hand, Belinda; darkness shades me,[line break]On thy bosom let me rest;[line break]More I would, but Death invades me;[line break]Death is now a welcome guest.[paragraph break]When I am laid in earth, may my wrongs create[line break]No trouble in thy breast.[line break]Remember me! but ah! forget my fate.'[paragraph break]According to some, Cupids appear in the clouds at the queen's passing.[paragraph break]With drooping wings ye Cupids come,[line break]And scatter roses o'er her tomb,[line break]Soft and gentle as her heart;[line break]Keep here your watch,[line break]and never part.[paragraph break]Aeneas, on the other hand, sails toward Italy, but loses his life, and those of the other Trojans, in an unnaturally intense storm, as conjured by the Magician. Still, since he was merely the one of the legendary founders of Rome and not a real force in history, the events of the ensuing centuries are not altered and you, Dear Interactor/Reader, live on, unaffected."; end the story saying "You have failed to save your sister, but why not try again?"; if the Magician is powerless: say "And so the Magician has failed in his attempt to curse Aeneas[apostrophe] ships. In truth, with a little help from you, he brought about his downfall by dispelling his own magic. Still, the Magician did manage to convince Aeneas that gods were insisting on his sailing to Italy, and you cannot persuade him of the Sorcerer's perfidy. Aeneas proclaims that he'll stay with Dido despite the faux-Mercury's message, but Dido sends him on his way, singing[line break]'No, faithless man, thy course pursue; I'm now resolv'd as well as you.[line break] No repentance shall reclaim[line break] The injured Dido's slighted flame;[line break] For 'tis enough, whate'er you now decree,[line break] That you had once a thought of leaving me.[line break] Away, away! No, no, away![line break] To death I'll fly if longer you delay.[line break] Away, away!'[paragraph break] As time passes, Dido misses Aeneas very much, but she also comes to appreciate his obvious weaknesses. After watching the Magician defeat himself, she decides to avoid self-destruction in her own life, and lives out her days as the builder and ruler of a great city, and as the as your very grateful sister."; end the story saying "Well done! You have saved your sister! If you'd like to find a way to keep Dido and Aeneas together, please try again."; if the Magician is humiliated: if the Magician is not powerless: say "And so, you have succeeded in exposing the Magician's impersonation of Mercury, but you have not prevented the cursing of Aeneas[apostrophe] fleet. As a result, Aeneas decides to stay with Dido, but he sees his fleet partially destroyed as it sails from Carthage. Aeneas experiences some survirors[apostrophe] guilt at the loss of some of his compatriots and perhaps a little jealousy when he hears, years later, of their success in Italy.[paragraph break]But Dido and Aeneas live out their days in mutual support and considerable joy. Perhaps they have traded heroic possibilities for love -- a common-enough swap, and, quite possibly, the best that any of us can do.[paragraph break]To the hills and the vales, to the rocks and the mountains,[line break]To the musical groves and the cool shady fountains[line break]Let the triumphs of Love and of beauty be shown;[line break]Go revel ye Cupids, the day is your own."; end the story saying "You have saved your sister from an early death, but you could try again, to see what would happen if you could prevent the Magician from cursing Aeneas[apostrophe] fleet."; if the Magician is powerless: say "You have frustrated the Magician's evil plans for destroying your sister and sinking Aeneas' fleet. All of Carthage celebrates the marriage masque of the two lovers, with Dido dressed as Venus and Aeneas as Phoebus, singing[line break] 'Earth and Skies address their Duty,[line break] To the Sovereign Queen of Beauty.[line break] All Resigning,[line break] None Repining.[line break] At her undisputed Sway.[paragraph break] To Phoebus and Venus our Homage we'll pay,[line break] Her Charms bless the Night, as his Beams bless the day.'[paragraph break] And so the lovers live happily ever after, and history is changed forever. (The authors suggest, Dear Readers, that you check the state of your family albums and the Wikipedia entries on the Carthaginian Empire and the obscure Italian town called Rome, lest you seem unaware of all that's happened in recent millennia.)"; end the game saying "Congratulations! You have saved the day!" [Actions] Following is an action applying to one thing. Understand "follow [something]" as following. Carry out following: say "Please use the primary compass directions (north, south, east, as west) to move around." Introing is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "intro" as introing. Carry out introing: say "'Keeping Dido' is a piece of interactive fiction. Interactive fiction, or IF, is a form of literature in which the reader plays the part of an important character, deciding, most of the time, what the character will do. By typing ordinary English sentences at a computer keyboard, the reader determines, within limits, where the main character will go, what objects he or she will pick up and use, how he or she will solve problems, and how he or she will behave toward other characters. However, even the best IF programs can deal with only a few kinds of English sentences, and it's very useful to have a sense of what sort of sentence is likely to work. All interactive fiction, even the more primitive stories, can recognize sentences like 'take coin,' which the story will consider to mean, 'I want to take the coin.' The IF story you're reading here can recognize many more kinds of sentences, but readers may want keep the two-word pattern in mind, anyway. For example, 'Keeping Dido' can recognize sentences like 'Take the lamp,' 'Throw the jerky at the Magician,' or 'Light the lantern. Blow it out.' Like most IF stories, this one also allows the reader to use a variety of useful abbreviations, including 'g' for 'again,' 'z' for 'wait,' 'i' for 'inventory of what I'm carrying,' 'l' for 'look,' 'n' for 'go north,' and 's' for 'go south.' This story uses only four directions of movement, north, south, east, and west. 'Wait' can be an important command because it's usually the best way to cause time to pass in the story. While the story waits for the reader's input, time does not pass in the world of the fictional narrative.[paragraph break]"; say "'Keeping Dido' does not involve a lot of conversation with other characters, but, on some occasions, you can start such conversations simply by typing talk to followed by the name of a character. If the reader types talk to Dido the story, under some circumstances, describes a resulting verbal exchange. Even in a brief work like 'Keeping Dido,' the reader may want to stop the story and start again later. To set a bookmark that will allow continuation from any point in the story, the reader should type 'Save.' The story will then ask for a name for the 'save' file. After the reader gives the filename, the story will create the file. To restart from the saved position, the reader should start the story as usual, and then type 'Restore.' The story will then ask for the name of the 'save' file. Once the reader provides the correct file name, the story will jump to the point at which the reader left off. 'Keeping Dido' is a brief work of interactive fiction. Its puzzles are few and relatively easy, though the player-character does have some particular tasks to perform. The story offers four possible endings, in addition to a few dead ends along the way. The reader/interactor is always informed of the dead ends, immediately and directly. The story provides hints for solving its puzzles, through an object that most readers will probably acquire early in the story. It's a bit difficult to classify this story in terms of the widely-accepted cruelty-rating system developed by Andrew Plotkin. If the player finds the hint device and uses it, the story should probably be classed as 'tough.' Without the hints, the story is probably 'nasty,' though its brevity may cause that rating to seem misleading. To see a walkthrough, type[line break] walkthrough[paragraph break]"; say "'Keeping Dido' is based on Nahum Tate's libretto for Henry Purcell's baroque opera [italic type]Dido and Aeneas, [roman type] which had its first documented performance at Josias Priest's girls[apostrophe] school in London, around 1688. In fact, this work of IF might be considered an introduction to the opera. It appears that [italic type]Dido and Aeneas,[roman type] wasn't performed much in its own day. However, with its lovely, lively, and accessible music -- especially its choruses -- and its surprisingly jaunty storyline, the work has become quite popular in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 'Keeping Dido' uses, and sometimes adapts, a good bit of Tate's poetry and builds on his plot.[paragraph break]Most readers know the Dido and Aeneas story as it appears in Virgil's [italic type]Aenead. [roman type]In Virgil's epic, the tragic story of Dido hinges on the irretrievably doomed love of its main characters -- fate (or the gods) will not allow for any ending other than Dido's dramatic self-immolation when her lover sails away to found the city of Rome. In the Tate/Purcell variation, Dido dies of grief when Aeneas leaves, but her passing is much less horrific. She passes quietly, in the company of her loving sister, and soon a flock of Cupids arrives to comfort the mourners by singing at Dido's tomb.[paragraph break]In the [italic type]Aenead, [roman type]Jupiter commissions Mercury to remind Aeneas of his obligation to leave Dido and sail to Rome, and Aeneas complies with the divine command. In [italic type]Dido and Aeneas, [roman type]however, Jupiter and Mercury never appear. Instead, a strange 'Enchantress,' sung by a mezzo-soprano, alto, countertenor, or bass, impersonates Mercury, sends Aeneas on his way, and curses Aeneas[apostrophe] fleet. If only someone had discovered the magical plotting, the lovers might well have lived happily ever after, and history might have been altered. Of course, that's where you, the reader/interactor, come in![paragraph break]Credits[line break]Many thanks to beta testers Kevin Jackson-Mead and Richard Smythe, and to the members of the Grue Street Writers[apostrophe] Group, including Andrew Plotkin, Doug Orleans, Clara Fernandez, and Jason MacIntosh. This story was created with Inform 7, which was developed by Graham Nelson, with lots of help from Emily Short and many others. 'Keeping Dido' uses extensions written by Aaron Reed and Eric Eve. The cover art is by Nicolaas Verkolje (1673 - 1746).[paragraph break] Copyright 2011 by Brendan Desilets[paragraph break]" Abouting is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "about" as abouting. Carry out abouting: say "'Keeping Dido' is a brief work of interactive fiction. If you haven't already tried interactive fiction (also known as 'IF' or 'text adventure gaming') you should probably have a look at an introduction to the genre, such as the one at http://emshort.wordpress.com/how-to-play/.[paragraph break] The puzzles in 'Keeping Dido' are few and relatively easy, though the player-character does have some particular tasks to perform. The story offers four possible endings, in addition to a few dead ends along the way. The reader/interactor is always informed of the dead ends, immediately and directly.[paragraph break]The story provides hints for solving its puzzles, through an object that most readers will probably acquire early in the story.[paragraph break]"; say "It's a bit difficult to classify this story in terms of the widely-accepted cruelty-rating system developed by Andrew Plotkin. If the player finds the hint device and uses it, the story should probably be classed as 'tough.' Without the hints, the story is probably 'nasty,' though its brevity may cause that rating to seem misleading.[paragraph break]To see a walkthrough, type[line break] WALKTHROUGH.[paragraph break]"; say "'Keeping Dido' is based on Nahum Tate's libretto for Henry Purcell's baroque opera [italic type]Dido and Aeneas, [roman type] which had its first documented performance at Josias Priest's girls[apostrophe] school in London, around 1688. In fact, this work of IF might be considered an introduction to the opera. Unlike many other introductions and summaries, 'Keeping Dido' manages to lay out the plot of the opera without giving away the ending.[paragraph break]It appears that [italic type]Dido and Aeneas[roman type] wasn't performed much in its own day. However, with its lovely, lively, and accessible music—especially its choruses—and its surprisingly jaunty storyline, the work has become quite popular in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 'Keeping Dido' uses, and sometimes adapts, a good bit of Tate's poetry and builds on his plot.[paragraph break]Most readers know the Dido and Aeneas story as it appears in Virgil's [italic type]Aenead. [roman type]In Virgil's epic, the tragic story of Dido hinges on the irretrievably doomed love of its main characters—fate (or the gods) will not allow for any ending other than Dido's dramatic self-immolation when her lover sails away to found the city of Rome. The Tate/Purcell variation ends somewhat differently, and, in 'Keeping Dido' the reader/interactor can save the day altogether. Enjoy! [paragraph break]Credits[line break]Many thanks to beta testers Kevin Jackson-Mead and Richard Smythe, and to the members of the Grue Street Writers[apostrophe] Group, including Andrew Plotkin, Doug Orleans, Clara Fernandez, and Jason MacIntosh.[paragraph break]This story was created with Inform 7, which was developed by Graham Nelson, with lots of help from Emily Short and many others. 'Keeping Dido' uses the extension Exit Lister, written by Eric Eve. The cover art is by Nicolaas Verkolje (1673 - 1746).[paragraph break] Copyright 2011 by Brendan Desilets[paragraph break]"; Blowing it out is an action applying to one thing. Understand "blow out [something]" as blowing it out. Check blowing it out: if the player does not carry the lamp: say "You're not carrying anything that you can blow out." Carry out blowing it out: if the noun is the campfire, say "The smoldering fire is a bit too substantial to be blown out."; if the noun is the lamp: if the lamp is lit: say "You blow out the candle."; now the lamp is not lit; stop the action; if the lamp is not lit: say "The candle is not lit, so you can't blow it out." Frotzing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "frotz" as frotzing. Carry out frotzing: say "You speak the word, but nothing interesting happens." Understand "zoom" as frotzing. Understand "gargoyle" as frotzing. Frotz is a thing. It is a backdrop. It is everywhere. Talking to is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand "talk to [someone]" as talking to. Carry out talking to: say "You can't think of anything useful to say right now." [Understand the command "say" as something new. Understand "say [something]" as saying. Saying is an action applying to one touchable thing. Check saying: if the noun is not frotz, say "Nothing interesting happens." instead; if the player is not carrying the hint booklet, say "It may be useful to be carrying the hint booklet." Carry out saying: if the noun is frotz: if the player carries the hint booklet and the hint booklet is not illuminated: say "The hint booklet is now glowing."; now the hint booklet is illuminated; if the player is in the cave, say "[line break]You can see an exit to the west."; stop the action; if the player carries the hint booklet and the hint booklet is illuminated, say "The hint booklet is already glowing."] After deciding the scope of the player while in the Cave: place the hint booklet in scope. Walkthroughing is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "walkthrough" as walkthroughing. Carry out walkthroughing: say "Solution to 'Keeping Dido' by by Nahum Tate (1652-1715) and Brendan Desilets[paragraph break]This solution leads, very directly, to the most positive of four possible outcomes. TAKE LAMP[line break] LOOK UNDER BENCH[line break] X BOOKLET[line break] X DIDO[line break] X AENEAS[line break] N[line break] TAKE BRANCH[line break] HIT HOUNDS[line break] X HOUNDS[line break] E[line break] X PINE[line break] TAKE PITCH[line break] E[line break] LIGHT LAMP[line break] W[line break] W[line break] N[line break] W[line break] OPEN BOX[line break] TAKE JERKY[line break] X BOX[line break] X LABEL[line break] W[line break] X MAGICIAN[line break] X WOMEN[line break] X ALTAR[line break] LISTEN[line break] PUT JERKY IN HELMET[line break] X SCROLL[line break] LEFT[line break] TAKE LABEL[line break] PUT PITCH ON LABEL[line break] PUT LABEL ON RIGHT SCROLL[line break] E[line break] E[line break] S[line break] E[line break] Z[line break] Z[line break] PULL DIDO[line break] TALK TO DIDO[line break] TALK TO DIDO[line break] Z[line break] Z[line break] E[line break] ATTACK MAGICIAN"; [Objects] The campfire is in the Beach. It is scenery. The description of the campfire is "A small, smoldering campfire." Understand "fire" as the campfire. The Castle is in the Palace Knoll. The Castle is scenery. The description of the Castle is "A large and lovely Palace, designed by your sister Dido, the engineer/builder/ruler of Carthage." Understand "Palace" as the Castle. [The bench is a supporter. The description of the bench is "A simple park bench." The bench is in the Palace Knoll.] The lamp is on the bench. The description of the lamp is "A small lamp, consisting of a candle and a hood.[if the lamp is not lit] The candle is not lit. [otherwise] The candle is giving off a bit of light[end if]"; Understand "candle/lantern/hood" as the lamp. The pine tree is in the Grove. It is scenery. The description of the pine tree is "A particularly mature tree. [if the pine pitch is not handled]There's a bit of sticky pine pitch showing near the ground.[end if]" Some pine pitch is in the Grove. It is undescribed. The description of the pine pitch is "A bit of sticky pine pitch.[if the player carries the pine pitch] You're carrrying the pitch on a small twig.[end if]"; Understand "twig/glue/paste" as the pine pitch. The sea is scenery in the Beach. The description of the sea is "An inlet of the Mediterranean Sea."; Understand "ocean/water/Mediterranean" as the sea. A branch is in the Path. The description of the branch is "A sturdy branch, about five feet long, fallen from a nearby tree." Some trees are in the Path. They are scenery. The description of the trees is "Ordinary, tall trees, with no good branches for climbing." Some birches are in the Grove. They are scenery. The description of the birches is "Medium-sized birch trees, with their lower branches trimmed off." Understand "tree/trees" as the birches. The altar is in the room called the Lair of the Sorcerer. The altar is scenery. Instead of examining the altar: if Cursing is happening: say "A strange table, apparently with a mystical purpose. On the altar, you see a helmet and two scrolls, one beside other. Attached to the left scroll is a label."; if Cursing is not happening: say "A strange table, apparently with a mystical purpose. On the altar, you see a helmet and two scrolls, one beside other." [Understand "scrolls" as the altar.] The magical parchments are plural-named. They are in the Lair of the Sorcerer. The scrolls are scenery. The description of the magical parchments is "Two magical scrolls, perhaps providing great power in the hands of an adept." Understand "scrolls" as the magical parchments. Before taking the magical parchments: say "The scrolls stubbornly refuse to move. Apparently, they are magically locked to the altar."; stop the action. The helmet is on the altar. The helmet is a wearable container. The helmet is undescribed. The description of the helmet is "A large helmet, meant to cover the entire head and to simulate the magical wings of Mercury. The wings themselves, spreading over about a half-meter, are attached to a sort of crown that sits atop the helmet. The design of the helmet draws the observer's eye to the wings, but the crown is really quite large, constituting a kind of empty container, as well as a support structure for the wings.[if the crown contains the jerky]The crown of the helmet has some raven jerky hidden in it.[end if]"; Understand "wings/wing" as the helmet. The crown is a container. It is open and unopenable. The crown is part of the helmet. The description of the crown is "A solid bronze ring that runs around the top of the helmet. The main purpose of the crown is probably to secure the helmet's faux 'wings,' but it also creates a substantial bowl that the helmet's wearer would support." The carrion box is a closed, openable container in the Hidden Nook. The description of the carrion box is "A little wooden box, perhaps a foot on each side, bolted to the floor. The box has a label." The label is part of the carrion box. The description of the label is "The label reads, 'Carrion Jerky -- For Ravens Only. Not for Human (or Sorcerers[apostrophe]) Consumption.'" Some jerky is in the carrion box. It is singular-named and edible. The indefinite article of the jerky is "some". The description of the jerky is "A substantial strip of meat jerky, probably made from some kind of carrion. It's pretty well dried, though, so there's very little odor." Instead of inserting the jerky into the helmet, try inserting the jerky into the crown. The mountain is in the Grove. It is scenery. The description of the mountain is "A magnificent mountain, at least by the standards of this part of the world." The fountain is in the Grove. The description of the fountain is "A simple, spring-fed fountain." The fountain is undescribed. Some water is in the Grove. The description of the water is "There's some water in the little fountain." The water is undescribed. Some ships are in the Beach. The ships are vehicles. The ships are plural-named. The description of the ships is "Aeneas[apostrophe] magnificent fleet." Understand "fleet/boats/ship/boat" as the ships. The ships are undescribed. Instead of going east in the Beach, say "You see no point in trying to swim out to the ships." Instead of going northeast in the Beach, say "You think about swimming out to the ships, but decide against this dangerous course of action." Instead of going southeast in the Beach, say "You decide not to swim out to the ships." Instead of doing anything other than examining the ships, say "You can't reach the ships from here. They're too far offshore." A scroll is a kind of supporter. The description of a scroll is "A rolled-up scroll, perhaps for spell-casting." The left scroll is a scroll. The left scroll is a supporter. The left scroll is on the altar. The description of the left scroll is "A rolled-up scroll.[if the label is not altered] Attached to the scroll is a label. The label reads 'Curse Fleet.' It looks as though the label's adhesive has become rather weak.'[end if]"; The left scroll is undescribed. Before examining the left scroll: if Cursing is happening: say "A rolled-up, magical scroll. It looks as though the scroll sports a label."; stop the action. The right scroll is a scroll. The right scroll is a supporter. The right scroll is on the altar. The description of the right scroll is "A rolled-up scroll.[if the label is altered] Attached to the scroll is a label, apparently intended to apply to this document. The label reads 'Curse Fleet.'[end if]"; The right scroll is undescribed. A sticker is on the left scroll. It is undescribed. The sticker is a supporter. The description of the sticker is "A label for a spell scroll.[if Cursing is happening] You can't read the label from here.[otherwise] The label reads 'Curse Fleet.'[end if]"; Understand "label" as the sticker. The sticker can be altered. The sticker is not altered. The sticker can be sticky. The sticker is not sticky. Instead of putting the pitch on the sticker: now the sticker is sticky; now the pitch is off-stage; say "Now the scroll label seems quite sticky." Before putting the sticker on the right scroll: if the sticker is not sticky: say "You put the label on the scroll, but it doesn't stick, so you pick it up again."; stop the action; if the sticker is sticky: say "You apply the label to the scroll, attaching it with the pitch you brought along. The adhesive seems to stick very well."; move the sticker to the right scroll; now the sticker is altered; now the pitch is off-stage; stop the action; otherwise: say "You apply the label to the scroll, attaching it with the pitch you brought along. The adhesive seems to stick very well."; move the sticker to the right scroll; now the sticker is altered; now the pitch is off-stage. Instead of putting the pitch on the sticker: if the player does not carry the pitch: say "You don't seem to have any pitch right now"; stop the action; otherwise: say "You apply the pitch to the label and then put the label on the right-hand scroll. The adhesive seems to stick very well."; now the sticker is altered; now the pitch is off-stage. Before taking the sticker: if the sticker is not altered: say "You carefully peel the sticker from the scroll, noting that whatever glue once held it in place is now completely dried up."; move the sticker to the player; stop the action; otherwise: if the sticker is on the right scroll: say "The label adheres to the scroll quite rigidly. Besides, it's already in the best place for tricking the Magician."; stop the action. [The Hint Booklet] A book is a kind of thing. Understand "book" as a book. A book has a table name called the contents. Instead of consulting a book about a topic listed in the contents of the noun: say "[reply entry][paragraph break]". Report consulting a book about: say "You flip through [the noun], but find no reference to [the topic understood]." instead. The Hint Booklet is a book. The description of the Hint Booklet is "A slim volume called 'Invisiclues Hint Booklet for GET LAMP.' The book has an odd yellowish hue around most of its words, as if they have been made visible through the application of some chemical or other. In addition, you notice that the booklet includes quite a bit of white space. Perhaps there's more invisible writing concealed here, but you have neither the tools nor the knowledge to reveal such text.[paragraph break]To look up a topic (such as magic) in the Hint Booklet, type 'Look up magic in the booklet.' [if Tryst is happening]Right now, it seems that 'magic' is the only legible topic.[otherwise]The legible topics in the hint booklet are [list of subjects].[end if]"; The contents of the Hint Booklet is the Table of Hints. Instead of looking under the bench: say "Under the bench, you see a booklet and pick it up."; move the hint booklet to the player. Table of Hints topic reply "magic" "Ah, Magician, your words may be bold.[line break]But, to wield greatest power, you need the right scroll." "light" "Don't think of torch or conflagration.[line break]Light is just interpretation.[line break](If you don't mind a spoiler, look up interpretation in the booklet for another hint.)" "interpretation" "To see the light, you need no flame.[line break]You just need know your interpreter's name. (In order to say a magic word, just type it. Don't include the word 'say.')" "helmet" "This device is just what its owner might will it,[line break]Yet its form allows a rival to fill it.[line break](Look up jerky in the hint booklet for another hint.)" "jerky" "This wondrous mask makes a man look like Mercury,[line break]But it also can serve as a fine raven jerkery.[line break](Look up scrolls in the hint booklet, if you'd like another hint and don't mind a spoiler.)" "scroll" or "scrolls" "These magical scrolls can confer endless might,[line break]But only if Mage gets the one that is right." "glue" "Mystic adhesives may be very fine,[line break]But no more gluey than pitch from a pine." [The hint booklet can be illuminated. The hint booklet is not illuminated.] Before frotzing: if the player carries the hint booklet and the hint booklet is not lit: say "Now the hint booklet is glowing."; if the player is in the cave, say "You can see an exit to the west."; now the hint booklet is lit; stop the action; if the player carries the hint booklet and the hint booklet is lit: say "You say 'frotz,' but nothing happens, perhaps because the hint booklet is already glowing."; stop the action; [An every turn rule: say "[list of subjects]".]