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the observatory [wip, sorry!]
by
silas applebees
Played 165 times
View game source
(spoilers!)
Download the
.z8 file
Source Code
"the observatory by silas" use no scoring the planetarium is a room. east of the planetarium is the gardens. north of the room of doors is the ornate gatehouse. south of the planetarium is the city. north of the planetarium is dark hallway. north of the hallway is the room of doors. the description of the planetarium is "[if planetarium is unvisited and gardens is unvisited]you are in a room full of stars. there is a man in front of you. it seems like he has something to say. you are somewhat wary of the man. [line break]you should examine him first.[end if][if planetarium is visited and gardens is unvisited]you are in the planetarium. the statue seems to be humming louder than it was when you entered before. the man has your back turned to you. the stars twinkle intermittently.[end if][if gardens is visited and planetarium is visited]you are in the planetarium. the statue seems to be humming louder than it was when you entered before. the man is not in the room. the stars tell you that the man--no, [italic type]lionel[roman type]--went north, to the room of doors. the planets whisper intermittently.[end if]" [if gardens is unvisited]in the planetarium is the man.[end if] [if planetarium is visited and gardens is visited]the man is undescribed.[end if] the expanse of stars, the multitude of planets, and the ominous statue are fixed in place in the planetarium. understand "stars" as the plural of the expanse of stars. understand "planets" as the plural of the multitude of planets. understand "the stars" as the expanse of stars. instead of examining the expanse of stars: say "they are bright, and older than the sky they sit on. their luminescence compels you to examine the planets that are suspended alongside them." instead of examining the multitude of planets: say "[if gardens is unvisited]the planets dot the night around you, each a different shade across an unfathomable spectrum of color, texture, and distance. their comforting insouciance compels you to ask the man about where you are.[end if][if gardens is visited]the planets dot the night around you, each a different shade across an unfathomable spectrum of color, texture, and distance. their comforting insouciance compels you to ask the man about where you are--but he's not here.[end if]" instead of examining the man: say "[if gardens is unvisited]there is nothing special about the man, only that he is here. maybe you should ask him about the stars around you.[end if][if gardens is visited]the man is not here.[end if]" instead of asking the man about "planets": say "the man goes quiet for a second before saying 'you know what they are. i am from one. you are from one. we are not there anymore.'[line break]he looks out towards the galaxies.[line break]'best not to think about it.'" instead of asking the man about "stars": say "they have been here for as long as i can remember. they know more about me than i do about them. maybe you should examine them and find your own truth. i have been here for a thousand years." instead of asking the man about "the stars": say "they have been here for as long as i can remember. they know more about me than i do about them. maybe you should examine them and find your own truth. i have been here for a thousand years." instead of asking the man about "statue": say "you try to ask the man about the statue, but you can't seem to get the words out. the statue starts emitting a low hum, and you find that you don't know what it looks like unless you're staring right at it." instead of asking the man about "the statue": say "you try to ask the man about the statue, but you can't seem to get the words out. the statue starts emitting a low hum, and you find that you don't know what it looks like unless you're staring right at it." understand "the statue" as the ominous statue. instead of asking the man about "where you are": say "you are in the planetarium. to the east are the gardens. to the north is the room of doors. and to the south is the unreachable city. i advise that you should go to the gardens first, the flowers are quieter at night.[line break]i am so lonely. i have been here for a thousand years." instead of asking the man about "where i am": say "you are in the planetarium. to the east are the gardens. to the north is the room of doors. and to the south is the unreachable city. i advise that you should go to the gardens first, the flowers are quieter at night.[line break]i am so lonely. i have been here for a thousand years." instead of asking the man about "location": say "you are in the planetarium. to the east are the gardens. to the north is the room of doors. and to the south is the unreachable city. i advise that you should go to the gardens first, the flowers are quieter at night.[line break]i am so lonely. i have been here for a thousand years." instead of asking the man about "where": say "you are in the planetarium. to the east are the gardens. to the north is the room of doors. and to the south is the unreachable city. i advise that you should go to the gardens first, the flowers are quieter at night.[line break]i am so lonely. i have been here for a thousand years." the gardens are a room. "[if gardens is unvisited]after walking down a seemingly endless glass hallway suspended above the unreachable city below you, you arrive in the gardens. the gardens sprawl as far as the eye can see. there are many flora here. you don't recognize most of them. you are on a marble path. the heels of your shoes click as you walk on it. the cool night air gently blows past your face. you have an urge to examine the garden around you.[end if][if gardens is visited]you are in the gardens. the night has become darker, but the moon brighter. a butterfly of unknown origin flits past your face.[end if]" the garden is a fixed in place in the gardens. it is scenery. the description of the garden is "the flowers and verdant stalks of plant life around you sway in the wind. you notice an iridescent envelope half hidden under the leaves of the lush blooms around you." the envelope is in the garden. the envelope is a closed openable container. inside the envelope is a letter and a silver key. the description of the envelope is "it is an iridescent, unmarked envelope that flashes in the moonlight. it is cold to the touch." the description of the silver key is "it is a small silver key carved with intricate, swirling designs." the description of the letter is "the letter is written on an expensive stationary, smelling of peonies and the loss of innocence. [line break]it reads,[line break][line break]'dearest lionel,[line break]i have tended to the observatory since i was indentured to its service an eon ago. it has been a long, cold while, even with you at my side. it is my duty as the keeper to watch over this cold realm--polish the stars, sing to the planets, tend to the gardens, placate the statue.... it has been so long since i have seen another soul other than me and you, lionel.[line break]too long.[line break]i want to see my wife. i want to get far away from this empty, desolate prison of marble and glass. and now, after an eon, my servitude is over. i can return to the city. and you, my beloved apprentice, now bear the burden of this soulless realm on your shoulders. i have taught you all i know, and i can't take you with me--the observatory only lets me leave if there's a successor to take my place. i hope you forgive me for this. i want to see my wife.[line break][line break]i'm sorry.[line break][line break]lilith maverick, 78th keeper of the observatory deius.'[line break][line break]you look up from the letter. the garden is alive with the rustling of fauna. you realize something.[line break]maybe you should go west, back to the planetarium." the hallway is a room. "you go north, and you arrive in a dark hallway with glossy, transluscent walls and a glass floor. the city's lights glint thousands of feet under you, a shining, distant mass of light and sound.[line break]it reminds you of the planetarium." the small door is a door. it is outside from the hallway and inside from the room of doors. the small door is locked. the silver key unlocks the small door. now the man is in the room of doors. the room of doors is a room. "you open the small wooden door to see a vast chamber with its walls and floors adorned with doors of all shapes and sizes. the air inside the room is forbidding. you find lionel in the room, standing next to a door made entirely of velvety fur. his hand is on the bone-carved knob. it looks like he is going to leave. do you want him to leave or stay?" lionel is a man. understand "the man" as lionel. persuasion rule for asking the man to try doing something: persuasion succeeds. asking the man to leave is an action applying to nothing. understand "ask the man to leave" as asking the man to leave. understand "ask lionel to leave" as asking the man to leave. asking the man to stay is an action applying to nothing. understand "ask the man to stay" as asking the man to stay. understand "ask lionel to stay" as asking the man to stay. instead of asking the man to leave: end the story saying "the man smiles sadly, and nods. he leaves through the oddly hirsute door, leaving behind the faint scent of minty sadness. you are left alone in the room of doors.[line break] you are now the keeper of the observatory.[line break][line break]you never see the man again." instead of asking the man to stay: say "the man turns to you. he starts to speak, a hint of sadness on his face.[line break]'i must go. you are here, and that means i am free.' you stare at him, and the hand on the door knob trembles a bit. you say that you don't want to stay here forever. [line break]the man smiles bitterly [line break]'you won't be here forever. someone will come and take your place.' [line break]he moves to open the door, but you stop him. you speak. [line break]'who's in charge of this place--the observatory? why do they get to choose me as your replacement? i didnt ask to be here.'[line break]you don't remember how you got here, either. last you recall, you were in your room, getting ready for bed.[line break]'and how come you had to be here for a thousand years alone? that's not fair.'[line break]you shake your head angrily. it isn't fair at all. you want to go home.[line break]the man smiles again, but this time it isn't so sad.[line break]'yes, it isn't fair, is it?'[line break]you stare into his eyes.[line break]'no it isn't. so that's why we're going to go home. both of us.'[line break][line break]his eyes soften, and you feel that he's come around because of your impassioned speech. [line break]'i know where the owner is. he's in the skies.' [line break]he takes his hand off the knob and heads north.[line break][line break]perhaps you should also go north." Every turn: if the player is in a room (called the current space): move lionel to the current space. the ornate gatehouse is a room. "you are in the ornate gatehouse. it is a high ceilinged room, intricately detailed with rose gold and pastels. a mural covers the domed roof. it is beautiful, and terrifying. you hear the faint sound of a river rushing. the smell of rosewater fills the room. [line break] lionel is in the room, maybe you should ask him about the skies.[line break][line break]this certainly doesn't seem like the skies to you." there is a golden key. it is in the ornate gatehouse. the golden key is undescribed. the ornate gateway is a door. it is outside from the ornate gatehouse and inside from the skies. the ornate gateway is locked. the golden key unlocks the ornate gateway. the mural is in the ornate gatehouse. it is scenery. the romantic statue, the trellis, and the lovely mirror are fixed in place in the ornate gatehouse. the roses are on the trellis. it is scenery. the description of the ornate gateway is "a huge gate of rose gold, carved in intricate, winding designs that catch in the dappled sunlight that illuminate from the inside of the gate". the description of the mural is "the mural covers the entire ceiling, its frescos depicting surreal dreamscapes that seem to wink in and out of view." the description of the romantic statue is "it is a Romantic era statue, presumably from France, and is slightly out of place with the primarily baroque aesthetic of the room. who was in charge of decorating?" the description of the trellis is "it is an ivory trellis surrounding two walls of the gatehouse. it is covered with pink roses of all shades." the description of the roses is "they are beautiful, but their thorns are sharp." understand "rose" as the roses. instead of taking the roses, say "the thorns are awfully sharp. the sounds of the river grows louder." the description of the lovely mirror is "what mirror?" instead of asking lionel about "skies", say "this is the Gatehouse. it's the room before the skies. the gatehouse is here so people like me and you can't wander in and out of the skies as they please. the owner does not like to be disturbed.[line break][line break]i've only seen the gateway open once, and the light inside was blinding.[line break]lilith never let me in here, and even after she left, i never bothered to go in[line break]he smiles bitterly, the flash of teeth fleeting and sad. [line break]'i do have the key, though.'[line break] he holds it out to you.[line break]it is beautiful, and made of the finest gold you've ever seen.[line break]it seems you need to take the golden key in order to visit the owner." instead of asking lionel about "the skies", say "this is the Gatehouse. it's the room before the skies. the gatehouse is here so people like me and you can't wander in and out of the skies as they please. the owner does not like to be disturbed.[line break][line break]i've only seen the gateway open once, and the light inside was blinding.[line break]lilith never let me in here, and even after she left, i never bothered to go in[line break]he smiles bitterly, the flash of teeth fleeting and sad. [line break]i do have the key, though.[line break] he holds it out to you.[line break]it seems you need to take the key in order to visit the owner." the description of the golden key is "pearly contours of the key glisten in your palms. it is oddly warm." the skies is a room. "oh baby is it a room of doooooom?"
