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All this for a map of Paris? Let's play Curses!
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#241
05-30-2012, 11:40 PM
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Quote:
As for the cards in the projector, any in particular that you want me to try? The unused ones are the Maiden, the Castle, the Eight of Wands, and the Star. And my spoilered hint in my previous update still stands. |
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#244
06-01-2012, 12:00 PM
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I like the idea of using the rod of husbandry on the birds.
As for the missing rod... I would possibly suggest the model golden sceptre (probably with a different daisy chain), the wrench or the marble rose. |
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#245
06-01-2012, 09:10 PM
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Quote:
>se White Hallway Mad Isaac's painting glares at you from the picture hook. There's an old-fashioned elephant's foot umbrella stand beside the garden doorway. >ne Bricked Path >e Hedgery A flock of sparrows crowds around the gutters of the summer house. Every now and then one flits up and lands somewhere else, and they bustle about chirpily. >strike rod of husbandry The rod charges with etherial power, drawn up from the earth through ley lines... >point rod of husbandry at sparrows Nothing obvious happens. Guess that's not where this rod is used. But there's something else to do now. We've got some new tarot cards, and votes to use one of them. So, into the world of The Castle! >w Bricked Path >sw White Hallway Mad Isaac's painting glares at you from the picture hook. There's an old-fashioned elephant's foot umbrella stand beside the garden doorway. >s Halfway up the Stairs >u Servant's Room A tight door stands open in the northern wall, giving onto the servants' staircase. An old striped scarf hangs up behind the doorway. >w Attic There is a closed trapdoor in the middle of the floor. >s Old Furniture You can see some wrapping paper with reindeer on here. >se Over the East Wing >s Disused Observatory Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. Mounted on the old telescope stand is what looks like a solid glass ball. A beam of white light runs into the room from the slide projector to the south, and hits the glass ball, which diffracts it into a beautiful spectrum across the ceiling. >s Souvenirs Room You can see a ship in a bottle here. The south wall is lit up by the projector. A beam of white light points directly backward from the projector, through the north doorway into the Observatory. >get castle (putting the papyrus fragment into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. >put castle in projector The south wall lights up with the picture on the Castle, beautifully magnified and amazingly life-like. Why, you'd hardly know there was a wall there at all. >s You walk confidently into the south wall... Ruined Castle Cafe This crowded, bohemian cafe bears only a passing resemblance to the ruined castle of the Tarot card: the decor imitates castle walls and arrowslits. You find yourself sitting at a table for one in the centre of the cafe floor. It is noisy, bustling and cheery, and a string quartet plays Strauss under the chattering of German voices. Your chances of attracting a waiter are very slight. Over in one corner, you can see a little square window, behind which must be the store of cups and glasses. Remembering this, you are distracted and unable to enjoy the entertainment. Even the table is annoying. It must have one leg shorter than the rest, or something, because it rattles now and then. The table rattles again. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] I wonder what could be causing that rattling? Maybe it's under the table... >look under table Now don't panic, but there's a ticking bomb loosely taped to the underside of the table you're sitting at! The clock is ticking downwards, and is eight minutes short of the red zone. All four wires are plugged into the timer. Oh, S-word...what to do? What to do??? I'll leave that for you to find out... Fear not, Beowulf, the Maiden will be the next stop regardless of what happens here. Unexplored paths: None. Puzzles: A ticking time bomb!!! Getting the mascot from old Evans. A key behind a grating that looks like it may fit the grating. Inventory: the Rods of Husbandry and Returning a daisy chain (around your neck, made from yellow daisies and causes certain objects to turn into featureless mahogany rods when waved) a canvas rucksack (which is open, actually a bag of holding)
some old gardeners' gloves (being worn) Score >score You are passing among the strange, unearthly world of the Tarot box. You have so far scored 193 out of a possible 550, in 1021 turns, giving you the rank of Adventurer. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
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k-g-l
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b=Old Winery c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless) d=Servant's Room (scarf) e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima) f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper) g=Over the East Wing h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar) i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand, smoke detector) j=Airing Cupboard k=Dark Room l=East Annexe m=Dead End (down/east to Beside the Drive) n=Library Storage o=Souvenirs Room (slide projector, ship in a bottle) p=Inside Cupboard (big iron fireplace, open skylight with crank handle, up to Roof) q=Chimney (down to Priest's Hole) r=Alison's Writing Room (bed) s=Tiny Balcony X=game over Meldrew Hall, cellar: Code:
c-a-b | d b=Wine Cellars c=Cellar West (locked door leading northwest, down to Hellish Place) d=Cellars South (robot mouse, hole in wall) Meldrew Hall, gardens and shaft area: Code:
j-i-i-i-
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b=Family Tree (plane tree, up to Up the Plane Tree) c=Beside the Wall (potted shrub, one-way path down to Wine Cellar) d=Lawn Ornaments (dark well too small to enter, miniature, weed killer bottle, prayer book, romantic novel, green branch, gas mask) e=Mosaic [can be lagach-ed] f=Clearing g=Garage (garden roller) h=Vegetable Garden (runner bean plant) i=Maze j=Viewpoint Ledge (plaque) k=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) l=Dark Passage m=Patio in Maze (down to Crypt) n=Sandstone Passage o=The Octagon (window vent, gilded coffin used to identify rods, scroll) p=White Hallway (painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe [can be lagach-ed], elephant's foot umbrella stand) q=Bricked Path r=Halfway up the Stairs (up to Servant's Room) s=Hedgery t=Croquet Lawn (colored peg, wickets) u=Summer House (gold watch which is visible but unattainable) Catacombs below the gardens: Code:
a Meldrew Hall, roof: Code:
b \ a b=Battlements Meldrew Hall, ???: Code:
a Meldrew Hall, gardens (1808): Code:
a-b-b-b
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b
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b=Maze Foundations Northeast of the House: Code:
c | b / a b=Public Footpath (down to Hollow) c=Stone Cross (Old Evans with his lucky mascot) Northeast of the House, Hollow: Code:
a Unreal City: Code:
g>b-c
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h-d-a-e>f
b=Shadowy Hallway (up to Consulting Room) c=Bohemia (mural [can be lagach-ed]) d=Down by River e=Near Ring Road (down to Chatelet-les-Halles) f=Chatelet-les-Halles (map salesman) g=Consulting Room (down to Shadowy Hallway) h=On board the Phlebas (saying "time" will take the protagonist to Garden Stream) Tarot box: Code:
a e c | b | d b=Aboard Ship (examine model ship; up to Up the Mast) c=Prow of the Lady Magdalena d=Stern e=Ruined Castle Cafe (you are here) Alexandria: Code:
b | a \ b=Island of Pharos (grating, rusty iron key behind grating) Hamburg by night: Code:
b / a | e-c-d f b=Revolving Door c=Hall of Exhibits (still life [can be lagach-ed]) d=Cabinet Room e=Dark Staircase (down/south to...?) f=Coven Cell (goat) Deaths Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Spooked: 1 (haunted by the ghost of Sir Joshua Meldrewe) Died: 3 (jumped off the mast of the Lady Magdalena without a parachute, spontaneous combustion, brutally sacrificed by a druidic coven) Total: 9 By the way, as a jump-start for the missing rod, think back to the description of the bronze mural in the catacombs, and about possible reasons why revealing it early might be a game-kiler. Last edited by Kahran042; 06-06-2012 at 07:32 PM. |
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#249
06-04-2012, 04:16 PM
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Well, that Rod of Luck thing sounds like it could actually work, so let's try it.
>get rod of luck Taken. The clock is ticking downwards, and is seven minutes short of the red zone. All four wires are plugged into the timer. >strike it You look rather conspicuous striking the rod on the cafe table, but everyone else assumes you're part of the cabaret. Anyway, the rod charges up as usual. The clock is ticking downwards, and is six minutes short of the red zone. All four wires are plugged into the timer. Quote:
You feel no different. Perhaps there's no such thing as luck. The clock is ticking downwards, and is five minutes short of the red zone. All four wires are plugged into the timer. Maybe...but let's give this a shot anyway. >pull red wire You pull out the red wire. The clock is ticking downwards, and is four minutes short of the red zone. Only the red wire is unplugged. Well, that didn't do much. Maybe we've got to remove all of the wires. Let's get a better look at them. >examine bomb It contains a timer-detonator, a bundle of plastic explosives and many, many wires. The most obvious ones are green, red, blue and black. They would pull out of their loose sockets in the timer easily, so perhaps this bomb disposal nonsense isn't as tricky as people make out. The clock is ticking downwards, and is three minutes short of the red zone. Only the red wire is unplugged. Green, red, blue, and black...seems somehow familiar. But let's pull another one, just to see what happens. >pull black wire You pull out the black wire. The clock is ticking downwards, and is two minutes short of the red zone. The red wire and black wire are unplugged. Well, it's not that one. Maybe if we pull the other two...? >pull green wire You pull out the green wire. The clock is ticking downwards, and is one minute short of the red zone. The red wire, green wire and black wire are unplugged. >pull blue wire You pull out the blue wire. All four wires are now disconnected. The clock is ticking downwards, and is right on the red zone! None of the wires are plugged in. Uh-oh...nothing to do now but... >wait Time passes. Click! Perhaps there's more to bomb disposal than you thought. In a sudden cataclysm, there is an enormous explosion from your table, blowing out all the arrowslit windows, making a thunderous noise, starting a minor fire, and of course having one other consequence: *** You have died *** Obviously, there's some order to pulling out the wires...but what? First, though, I have a promise to keep. After restoring and heading back up to the Souvenirs Room... >get maiden (putting the papyrus fragment into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. >put it in projector The south wall lights up with the picture on the Maiden, beautifully magnified and amazingly life-like. Why, you'd hardly know there was a wall there at all. >s You walk confidently into the south wall... Sea Shore A rough rocky sea shore below barely-climbable cliffs, against which inviting deep blue sea laps. It seems to be early morning, soon after dawn, from the look of the sun on the water. Chained to the cliff face is the beautiful Andromeda, looking nobly out to sea as she awaits her fate. And it seems we're in ancient Greece now. I'm assuming that most of you know your Greek mythology, but for those of you who don't... >consult dictionary about andromeda Maiden sacrificed to a sea-monster, according to myth eventually saved by Perseus. And you can bet your arse that I'll be doing this for just about every mythological/classical figure I see here. But first, there's some cliffs to climb. After all, "barely climbable" means that it is possible... >u Cliffs On top of some exposed cliffs on the Mediterranean. A dangerous slither down leads on one side to the shore, all other ways down being even more hazardous. Atop the cliffs is the Pharos tower, a round stone pinnacle lighthouse, but there is no way in from here. A grassy walk leads east, and a narrow crack leads southwest into a cave mouth. So, east or southwest? Unexplored paths: East from Cliffs. Southwest from Cliffs. Puzzles: Defusing the time bomb. Getting the mascot from old Evans. A key behind a grating that looks like it may fit the grating. Inventory: the Rods of Husbandry and Returning a daisy chain (around your neck, made from yellow daisies and causes certain objects to turn into featureless mahogany rods when waved) a canvas rucksack (which is open, actually a bag of holding)
some old gardeners' gloves (being worn) Score You are passing among the strange, unearthly world of the Tarot box. You have so far scored 188 out of a possible 550, in 1016 turns, giving you the rank of Adventurer. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f q-p
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k-g-l
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n-i m
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b=Old Winery c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless) d=Servant's Room (scarf) e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima) f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper) g=Over the East Wing h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar) i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand, smoke detector) j=Airing Cupboard k=Dark Room l=East Annexe m=Dead End (down/east to Beside the Drive) n=Library Storage o=Souvenirs Room (slide projector, ship in a bottle) p=Inside Cupboard (big iron fireplace, open skylight with crank handle, up to Roof) q=Chimney (down to Priest's Hole) r=Alison's Writing Room (bed) s=Tiny Balcony X=game over Meldrew Hall, cellar: Code:
c-a-b | d b=Wine Cellars c=Cellar West (locked door leading northwest, down to Hellish Place) d=Cellars South (robot mouse, hole in wall) Meldrew Hall, gardens and shaft area: Code:
j-i-i-i-
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b=Family Tree (plane tree, up to Up the Plane Tree) c=Beside the Wall (potted shrub, one-way path down to Wine Cellar) d=Lawn Ornaments (dark well too small to enter, miniature, weed killer bottle, prayer book, romantic novel, green branch, gas mask) e=Mosaic [can be lagach-ed] f=Clearing g=Garage (garden roller) h=Vegetable Garden (runner bean plant) i=Maze j=Viewpoint Ledge (plaque) k=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) l=Dark Passage m=Patio in Maze (down to Crypt) n=Sandstone Passage o=The Octagon (window vent, gilded coffin used to identify rods, scroll) p=White Hallway (painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe [can be lagach-ed], elephant's foot umbrella stand) q=Bricked Path r=Halfway up the Stairs (up to Servant's Room) s=Hedgery t=Croquet Lawn (colored peg, wickets) u=Summer House (gold watch which is visible but unattainable) Catacombs below the gardens: Code:
a Meldrew Hall, roof: Code:
b \ a b=Battlements Meldrew Hall, ???: Code:
a Meldrew Hall, gardens (1808): Code:
a-b-b-b
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b=Maze Foundations Actually, I've been thinking of getting rid of this map, seeing as there's no way of getting back here. Anyone else agree? Northeast of the House: Code:
c | b / a b=Public Footpath (down to Hollow) c=Stone Cross (Old Evans with his lucky mascot) Northeast of the House, Hollow: Code:
a Unreal City: Code:
g>b-c
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h-d-a-e>f
b=Shadowy Hallway (up to Consulting Room) c=Bohemia (mural [can be lagach-ed]) d=Down by River e=Near Ring Road (down to Chatelet-les-Halles) f=Chatelet-les-Halles (map salesman) g=Consulting Room (down to Shadowy Hallway) h=On board the Phlebas (saying "time" will take the protagonist to Garden Stream) Tarot box: Code:
a e c | b | d f g- / b=Aboard Ship (examine model ship; up to Up the Mast) c=Prow of the Lady Magdalena d=Stern e=Ruined Castle Cafe f=Sea Shore (Andromeda, up to Cliffs) g=Cliffs (you are here) Alexandria: Code:
b | a \ b=Island of Pharos (grating, rusty iron key behind grating) Hamburg by night: Code:
b / a | e-c-d f b=Revolving Door c=Hall of Exhibits (still life [can be lagach-ed]) d=Cabinet Room e=Dark Staircase (down/south to...?) f=Coven Cell (goat) Deaths Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Spooked: 1 (haunted by the ghost of Sir Joshua Meldrewe) Died: 4 (jumped off the mast of the Lady Magdalena without a parachute, spontaneous combustion, brutally sacrificed by a druidic coven, blown to bits by a time bomb) Total: 10 I've been hinting about the bronze mural for a while now, so here's its description again: "The mural depicts an old bearded wise man following a star in the western sky. He has his right arm around an attractive young woman and holds a bundle of wands with his left hand. Around the border are astrological symbols of all kinds, from Tarot suits to zodiacal constellations." Does this bring anything to mind? Something - or some things - that might just be in our inventory? Last edited by Kahran042; 06-06-2012 at 07:33 PM. |
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#251
06-04-2012, 07:08 PM
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Quote:
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#252
06-05-2012, 05:35 PM
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Well, Gerad suggested going east, and that seems as good a direction as any, so...
>e Clifftop Walk A long clifftop walk by the sea, from the lighthouse to the west to the village not far east. These fields are occupied by herds of hardy mountain goats, continually butting each other and frisking. To the south a path leads across sparse grassland to a great outgrowth of some kind. Not much here, just some goats. But apparently there's a village to the east, so let's check it out. >e The goats hiss and butt against you, not letting you through. Guess we can't check it out. Darn goats... I have a feeling that you know what to do here, but I'll leave it as a courtesy for you to solve next time. Unexplored paths: Southwest from Cliffs. South from Clifftop Walk. Puzzles: Defusing the time bomb. Getting the mascot from old Evans. A key behind a grating that looks like it may fit the grating. Getting past a trip of hostile goats. Inventory: the Rods of Husbandry and Returning a daisy chain (around your neck, made from yellow daisies and causes certain objects to turn into featureless mahogany rods when waved) a canvas rucksack (which is open, actually a bag of holding)
some old gardeners' gloves (being worn) Score You are passing among the strange, unearthly world of the Tarot box. You have so far scored 188 out of a possible 550, in 1018 turns, giving you the rank of Adventurer. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f q-p
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k-g-l
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n-i m
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o r
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b=Old Winery c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless) d=Servant's Room (scarf) e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima) f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper) g=Over the East Wing h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar) i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand, smoke detector) j=Airing Cupboard k=Dark Room l=East Annexe m=Dead End (down/east to Beside the Drive) n=Library Storage o=Souvenirs Room (slide projector, ship in a bottle) p=Inside Cupboard (big iron fireplace, open skylight with crank handle, up to Roof) q=Chimney (down to Priest's Hole) r=Alison's Writing Room (bed) s=Tiny Balcony X=game over Meldrew Hall, cellar: Code:
c-a-b | d a=Cellars (dumbwaiter to Dark Shaft) b=Wine Cellars c=Cellar West (locked door leading northwest, down to Hellish Place) d=Cellars South (robot mouse, hole in wall) Code:
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b=Family Tree (plane tree, up to Up the Plane Tree) c=Beside the Wall (potted shrub, one-way path down to Wine Cellar) d=Lawn Ornaments (dark well too small to enter, miniature, weed killer bottle, prayer book, romantic novel, green branch, gas mask) e=Mosaic [can be lagach-ed] f=Clearing g=Garage (garden roller) h=Vegetable Garden (runner bean plant) i=Maze j=Viewpoint Ledge (plaque) k=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) l=Dark Passage m=Patio in Maze (down to Crypt) n=Sandstone Passage o=The Octagon (window vent, gilded coffin used to identify rods, scroll) p=White Hallway (painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe [can be lagach-ed], elephant's foot umbrella stand) q=Bricked Path r=Halfway up the Stairs (up to Servant's Room) s=Hedgery t=Croquet Lawn (colored peg, wickets) u=Summer House (gold watch which is visible but unattainable) Catacombs below the gardens: Code:
a Meldrew Hall, roof: Code:
b \ a b=Battlements Meldrew Hall, ???: Code:
a Northeast of the House: Code:
c | b / a b=Public Footpath (down to Hollow) c=Stone Cross (Old Evans with his lucky mascot) Northeast of the House, Hollow: Code:
a Unreal City: Code:
g>b-c
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h-d-a-e>f
b=Shadowy Hallway (up to Consulting Room) c=Bohemia (mural [can be lagach-ed]) d=Down by River e=Near Ring Road (down to Chatelet-les-Halles) f=Chatelet-les-Halles (map salesman) g=Consulting Room (down to Shadowy Hallway) h=On board the Phlebas (saying "time" will take the protagonist to Garden Stream) Tarot box: Code:
a e c | b | d f g-h / | b=Aboard Ship (examine model ship; up to Up the Mast) c=Prow of the Lady Magdalena d=Stern e=Ruined Castle Cafe f=Sea Shore (Andromeda, up to Cliffs) g=Cliffs h=Clifftop Walk (you are here; eastern path is blocked by those bleeping goats) Alexandria: Code:
b | a \ b=Island of Pharos (grating, rusty iron key behind grating) Hamburg by night: Code:
b / a | e-c-d f b=Revolving Door c=Hall of Exhibits (still life [can be lagach-ed]) d=Cabinet Room e=Dark Staircase (down/south to...?) f=Coven Cell (goat) In case you can't tell, I took the liberty of removing the map of the gardens in 1808, since there's no way of returning there. Deaths Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Spooked: 1 (haunted by the ghost of Sir Joshua Meldrewe) Died: 4 (jumped off the mast of the Lady Magdalena without a parachute, spontaneous combustion, brutally sacrificed by a druidic coven, blown to bits by a time bomb) Total: 10 Last edited by Kahran042; 06-06-2012 at 07:33 PM. |
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#255
06-06-2012, 07:19 PM
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Well, the wrench hasn't worked for anything other than what a wrench is actually intended for yet, but that's no reason not to give it a try this time.
>get wrench It's a wrench, but you take it. >hit goats with wrench Violence isn't the answer to this one. Well, maybe fire is? After all, goat is apparently quite good if cooked properly... >get rod of fire (putting the Rod of Returning into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. >strike it The rod charges with etherial power, drawn up from the earth through ley lines... >point it at goats You start a great conflagration, and then perish in it! *** You have died *** Guess it's not all that focused. But the correct solution, which I will show off now, does involve a rod. To be exact, the Rod of Husbandry. So... >undo Clifftop Walk [Previous turn undone.] >strike rod of husbandry The rod charges with etherial power, drawn up from the earth through ley lines... >point it at goats The goats suddenly look up at you with awe, although they resume their former interest in eating the grass quite quickly. Now I should be able to get through them. >e The goats obediently part to allow you to get by. Outside Taverna A long walk along the cliffs from the lighthouse leads naturally here, just outside the Eraina Taverna, whose open doorway lies to the south. Hanging from a low branch of a fig tree is, as you might expect, a fig. Might as well take it. >get fig (putting the Rod of Husbandry into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. This seems like a good place to end today's update, so where to from here? Unexplored paths: Southwest from Cliffs. South from Outside Taverna. Puzzles: Defusing the time bomb. Getting the mascot from old Evans. A key behind a grating that looks like it may fit the grating. Inventory: a fig the Rod of Fire (charged) a steel wrench a daisy chain (around your neck, made from yellow daisies and causes certain objects to turn into featureless mahogany rods when waved) a canvas rucksack (which is open, actually a bag of holding)
some old gardeners' gloves (being worn) Score You are passing among the strange, unearthly world of the Tarot box. You have so far scored 188 out of a possible 550, in 1026 turns, giving you the rank of Adventurer. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f q-p
\ |
k-g-l
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n-i m
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o r
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s
b=Old Winery c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless) d=Servant's Room (scarf) e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima) f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper) g=Over the East Wing h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar) i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand, smoke detector) j=Airing Cupboard k=Dark Room l=East Annexe m=Dead End (down/east to Beside the Drive) n=Library Storage o=Souvenirs Room (slide projector, ship in a bottle) p=Inside Cupboard (big iron fireplace, open skylight with crank handle, up to Roof) q=Chimney (down to Priest's Hole) r=Alison's Writing Room (bed) s=Tiny Balcony X=game over Meldrew Hall, cellar: Code:
c-a-b | d b=Wine Cellars c=Cellar West (locked door leading northwest, down to Hellish Place) d=Cellars South (robot mouse, hole in wall) Meldrew Hall, gardens and shaft area: Code:
j-i-i-i-
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r
b=Family Tree (plane tree, up to Up the Plane Tree) c=Beside the Wall (potted shrub, one-way path down to Wine Cellar) d=Lawn Ornaments (dark well too small to enter, miniature, weed killer bottle, prayer book, romantic novel, green branch, gas mask) e=Mosaic [can be lagach-ed] f=Clearing g=Garage (garden roller) h=Vegetable Garden (runner bean plant) i=Maze j=Viewpoint Ledge (plaque) k=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) l=Dark Passage m=Patio in Maze (down to Crypt) n=Sandstone Passage o=The Octagon (window vent, gilded coffin used to identify rods, scroll) p=White Hallway (painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe [can be lagach-ed], elephant's foot umbrella stand) q=Bricked Path r=Halfway up the Stairs (up to Servant's Room) s=Hedgery t=Croquet Lawn (colored peg, wickets) u=Summer House (gold watch which is visible but unattainable) Catacombs below the gardens: Code:
a Meldrew Hall, roof: Code:
b \ a b=Battlements Meldrew Hall, ???: Code:
a Northeast of the House: Code:
c | b / a b=Public Footpath (down to Hollow) c=Stone Cross (Old Evans with his lucky mascot) Northeast of the House, Hollow: Code:
a Unreal City: Code:
g>b-c
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h-d-a-e>f
b=Shadowy Hallway (up to Consulting Room) c=Bohemia (mural [can be lagach-ed]) d=Down by River e=Near Ring Road (down to Chatelet-les-Halles) f=Chatelet-les-Halles (map salesman) g=Consulting Room (down to Shadowy Hallway) h=On board the Phlebas (saying "time" will take the protagonist to Garden Stream) Tarot box: Code:
a e c | b | d f g-h-i / | | b=Aboard Ship (examine model ship; up to Up the Mast) c=Prow of the Lady Magdalena d=Stern e=Ruined Castle Cafe f=Sea Shore (Andromeda, up to Cliffs) g=Cliffs (down to Sea Shore) h=Clifftop Walk (you are here; eastern path is blocked by those bleeping goats) i=Outside Taverna (fig tree) Alexandria: Code:
b | a \ b=Island of Pharos (grating, rusty iron key behind grating) Hamburg by night: Code:
b / a | e-c-d f b=Revolving Door c=Hall of Exhibits (still life [can be lagach-ed]) d=Cabinet Room e=Dark Staircase (down/south to...?) f=Coven Cell (goat) Deaths Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Spooked: 1 (haunted by the ghost of Sir Joshua Meldrewe) Died: 5 (jumped off the mast of the Lady Magdalena without a parachute, spontaneous combustion, brutally sacrificed by a druidic coven, blown to bits by a time bomb, incinerated myself with the Rod of Fire) Total: 11 Last edited by Kahran042; 06-06-2012 at 07:33 PM. |
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#257
06-07-2012, 07:41 PM
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South it is!
>s Eraina Taverna A plain but cheery taverna, fill of miserable and rather ashamed men who are drinking retsina heavily. The day is dawning outside the north door, but they strangely do not share your uplifted feeling at the sight. Left untouched on one table is an Ekmek Special dessert. Behind the bar, a depressed bartender polishes glasses. The gentle sound of bazouki music strikes up in the background, gradually rising to an intolerable pitch. After a moment comes a dull thud and a strangled noise, then blessed quiet. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] Ekmek Special? Let's get a better look at it. >examine ekmek A speciality dessert of the Taverna: ice cream, kateifi, raspberry sauce, cream. An acquired taste. The gentle sound of bazouki music strikes up in the background, gradually rising to an intolerable pitch. After a moment comes a dull thud and a strangled noise, then blessed quiet. Well, except for the raspberry sauce, that sounds like the type of thing I might like. And, since it was left abandoned here, I can probably swipe it. >get ekmek You can't understand a word of what the bartender says, but the drift is clear enough. Not until you pay for it. Or not. Unfortunately, I don't have any way of paying for it right now. So, where to go from here? Unexplored paths: Southwest from Cliffs. South from Clifftop Walk. Puzzles: Defusing the time bomb. Getting the mascot from old Evans. A key behind a grating that looks like it may fit the grating. Getting some money to buy the Ekmek Special. Inventory: a fig the Rod of Fire (charged) a steel wrench a daisy chain (around your neck, made from yellow daisies and causes certain objects to turn into featureless mahogany rods when waved) a canvas rucksack (which is open, actually a bag of holding)
some old gardeners' gloves (being worn) Score You are passing among the strange, unearthly world of the Tarot box. You have so far scored 193 out of a possible 550, in 1029 turns, giving you the rank of Adventurer. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f q-p
\ |
k-g-l
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n-i m
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o r
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s
b=Old Winery c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless) d=Servant's Room (scarf) e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima) f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper) g=Over the East Wing h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar) i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand, smoke detector) j=Airing Cupboard k=Dark Room l=East Annexe m=Dead End (down/east to Beside the Drive) n=Library Storage o=Souvenirs Room (slide projector, ship in a bottle) p=Inside Cupboard (big iron fireplace, open skylight with crank handle, up to Roof) q=Chimney (down to Priest's Hole) r=Alison's Writing Room (bed) s=Tiny Balcony X=game over Meldrew Hall, cellar: Code:
c-a-b | d b=Wine Cellars c=Cellar West (locked door leading northwest, down to Hellish Place) d=Cellars South (robot mouse, hole in wall) Meldrew Hall, gardens and shaft area: Code:
j-i-i-i-
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i
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-i-
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i
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-i-i-i-i-i-m
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i
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g-f-b-d-e
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h a-c u
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l-n-o q-s-t
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k p
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r
b=Family Tree (plane tree, up to Up the Plane Tree) c=Beside the Wall (potted shrub, one-way path down to Wine Cellar) d=Lawn Ornaments (dark well too small to enter, miniature, weed killer bottle, prayer book, romantic novel, green branch, gas mask) e=Mosaic [can be lagach-ed] f=Clearing g=Garage (garden roller) h=Vegetable Garden (runner bean plant) i=Maze j=Viewpoint Ledge (plaque) k=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) l=Dark Passage m=Patio in Maze (down to Crypt) n=Sandstone Passage o=The Octagon (window vent, gilded coffin used to identify rods, scroll) p=White Hallway (painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe [can be lagach-ed], elephant's foot umbrella stand) q=Bricked Path r=Halfway up the Stairs (up to Servant's Room) s=Hedgery t=Croquet Lawn (colored peg, wickets) u=Summer House (gold watch which is visible but unattainable) Catacombs below the gardens: Code:
a Meldrew Hall, roof: Code:
b \ a b=Battlements Meldrew Hall, ???: Code:
a Northeast of the House: Code:
c | b / a b=Public Footpath (down to Hollow) c=Stone Cross (Old Evans with his lucky mascot) Northeast of the House, Hollow: Code:
a Unreal City: Code:
g>b-c
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h-d-a-e>f
b=Shadowy Hallway (up to Consulting Room) c=Bohemia (mural [can be lagach-ed]) d=Down by River e=Near Ring Road (down to Chatelet-les-Halles) f=Chatelet-les-Halles (map salesman) g=Consulting Room (down to Shadowy Hallway) h=On board the Phlebas (saying "time" will take the protagonist to Garden Stream) Tarot box: Code:
a e
c
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b
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d
f g-h-i
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j
b=Aboard Ship (examine model ship; up to Up the Mast) c=Prow of the Lady Magdalena d=Stern e=Ruined Castle Cafe f=Sea Shore (Andromeda, up to Cliffs) g=Cliffs (down to Sea Shore) h=Clifftop Walk i=Outside Taverna (fig tree) j=Eraina Taverna (Ekmek Special, bartender; you are here) Alexandria: Code:
b | a \ b=Island of Pharos (grating, rusty iron key behind grating) Hamburg by night: Code:
b / a | e-c-d f b=Revolving Door c=Hall of Exhibits (still life [can be lagach-ed]) d=Cabinet Room e=Dark Staircase (down/south to...?) f=Coven Cell (goat) Deaths Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Spooked: 1 (haunted by the ghost of Sir Joshua Meldrewe) Died: 5 (jumped off the mast of the Lady Magdalena without a parachute, spontaneous combustion, brutally sacrificed by a druidic coven, blown to bits by a time bomb, incinerated myself with the Rod of Fire) Total: 11 |
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#259
06-09-2012, 03:20 AM
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Yes. Let's. The Clifftop Walk is closer, so let's check that one out first.
>n Outside Taverna >w Clifftop Walk >s Wall of Thorns The rather sparse rolling landscape is dominated here by a massive, and suspiciously unnatural, wall of thorns, which forms a great ring about an area perhaps a hundred yards in diameter. There are goat pastures to the north. The wall rustles and clashes its thorns like a beast alive. Pfft. How bad could it be? >s You can't, since the wall of thorns is in the way. Huh. That...actually went better than expected. Anyway, now to check out the other exit from the cliffs. >n Clifftop Walk >w Cliffs >sw Cave Mouth A dry cave opening from a crack to the northeast, becoming a fair-sized cavern, furnished with bronze and lit by trestle lamps chained from the ceiling. In the centre of the cave rests an obsidian altar stone with a flaming bronze urn. Well, this place looks interesting. But what to do here? And what to do about that wall of thorns, for that matter? Until next time! Unexplored paths: None. Puzzles: Defusing the time bomb. Getting the mascot from old Evans. A key behind a grating that looks like it may fit the grating. Getting some money to buy the Ekmek Special. A wall of living thorns. Inventory: a fig the Rod of Fire (charged) a steel wrench a daisy chain (around your neck, made from yellow daisies and causes certain objects to turn into featureless mahogany rods when waved) a canvas rucksack (which is open, actually a bag of holding)
some old gardeners' gloves (being worn) Score You are passing among the strange, unearthly world of the Tarot box. You have so far scored 193 out of a possible 550, in 1029 turns, giving you the rank of Adventurer. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f q-p
\ |
k-g-l
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n-i m
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o r
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s
b=Old Winery c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless) d=Servant's Room (scarf) e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima) f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper) g=Over the East Wing h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar) i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand, smoke detector) j=Airing Cupboard k=Dark Room l=East Annexe m=Dead End (down/east to Beside the Drive) n=Library Storage o=Souvenirs Room (slide projector, ship in a bottle) p=Inside Cupboard (big iron fireplace, open skylight with crank handle, up to Roof) q=Chimney (down to Priest's Hole) r=Alison's Writing Room (bed) s=Tiny Balcony X=game over Meldrew Hall, cellar: Code:
c-a-b | d b=Wine Cellars c=Cellar West (locked door leading northwest, down to Hellish Place) d=Cellars South (robot mouse, hole in wall) Meldrew Hall, gardens and shaft area: Code:
j-i-i-i-
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i
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-i-i-i-i-i-m
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g-f-b-d-e
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h a-c u
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l-n-o q-s-t
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k p
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r
b=Family Tree (plane tree, up to Up the Plane Tree) c=Beside the Wall (potted shrub, one-way path down to Wine Cellar) d=Lawn Ornaments (dark well too small to enter, miniature, weed killer bottle, prayer book, romantic novel, green branch, gas mask) e=Mosaic [can be lagach-ed] f=Clearing g=Garage (garden roller) h=Vegetable Garden (runner bean plant) i=Maze j=Viewpoint Ledge (plaque) k=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) l=Dark Passage m=Patio in Maze (down to Crypt) n=Sandstone Passage o=The Octagon (window vent, gilded coffin used to identify rods, scroll) p=White Hallway (painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe [can be lagach-ed], elephant's foot umbrella stand) q=Bricked Path r=Halfway up the Stairs (up to Servant's Room) s=Hedgery t=Croquet Lawn (colored peg, wickets) u=Summer House (gold watch which is visible but unattainable) Catacombs below the gardens: Code:
a Meldrew Hall, roof: Code:
b \ a b=Battlements Meldrew Hall, ???: Code:
a Northeast of the House: Code:
c | b / a b=Public Footpath (down to Hollow) c=Stone Cross (Old Evans with his lucky mascot) Northeast of the House, Hollow: Code:
a Unreal City: Code:
g>b-c
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h-d-a-e>f
b=Shadowy Hallway (up to Consulting Room) c=Bohemia (mural [can be lagach-ed]) d=Down by River e=Near Ring Road (down to Chatelet-les-Halles) f=Chatelet-les-Halles (map salesman) g=Consulting Room (down to Shadowy Hallway) h=On board the Phlebas (saying "time" will take the protagonist to Garden Stream) Tarot box: Code:
a e c | b | d f g-h-i / | | l k j b=Aboard Ship (examine model ship; up to Up the Mast) c=Prow of the Lady Magdalena d=Stern e=Ruined Castle Cafe f=Sea Shore (Andromeda, up to Cliffs) g=Cliffs (down to Sea Shore) h=Clifftop Walk i=Outside Taverna (fig tree) j=Eraina Taverna (Ekmek Special, bartender) k=Wall of Thorns l=Cave Mouth (obsidian altar, flaming bronze urn; you are here) Alexandria: Code:
b | a \ b=Island of Pharos (grating, rusty iron key behind grating) Hamburg by night: Code:
b / a | e-c-d f b=Revolving Door c=Hall of Exhibits (still life [can be lagach-ed]) d=Cabinet Room e=Dark Staircase (down/south to...?) f=Coven Cell (goat) Deaths Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Spooked: 1 (haunted by the ghost of Sir Joshua Meldrewe) Died: 5 (jumped off the mast of the Lady Magdalena without a parachute, spontaneous combustion, brutally sacrificed by a druidic coven, blown to bits by a time bomb, incinerated myself with the Rod of Fire) Total: 11 |
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#261
06-09-2012, 01:49 PM
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This thing is pretty long for a homebrew IF game. I'm actually kind of impressed.
But anyway, using the Rod of Fire on the wall of thorns sounds like a good idea. Or an idea, at least. |
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#262
06-09-2012, 06:45 PM
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A little fire should show those thorns who's boss. So, let's take that urn and...
>take urn That's fixed in place. Guess we can't. Oh, well. At least we have another fire source, if a somewhat risky one. Back to the wall of thorns, then. >ne Cliffs >e Clifftop Walk >s Wall of Thorns The wall rustles and clashes its thorns like a beast alive. Here goes nothing... >point rod of fire at thorns Fire leaps out from the rod into the heart of the thorn wall, which screams out as it burns, revealing a great hole through the wild flames. You catch a tantalising glimpse of a great Temple, before the wall heals back. But it is unable to recover entirely, and a charred gap is left to the south. You could probably squeeze through it. Probably...so let's try it. >s Sacred Earth Here inside the thorn wall, a north-south path leads across sacred earth into the imposing marble Temple of Zeus. You feel distinctly uneasy walking on such hallowed turf. There are any number of myths about gods getting cross about that sort of thing. Hallowed, schmallowed. What's the worst that could happen? >s Zeus, chief of all the gods, appears and hurls a thunderbolt down just before you begin to cross into the Temple. With the kind of calculation only a god could make, Zeus has worked out exactly what would happen and aimed the thunderbolt so that it hits you straight in the back despite your attempt to weave about. Pretty impressive prediction, is your last thought. *** You have died *** That, apparently. Once again, I may have screwed myself by coming here too soon, since there isn't any apparent artwork in the areas I can access, meaning that if I left, I couldn't lagach back. So I'll restore to before entering the Tarot box for next time. Unexplored paths: None. Puzzles: Defusing the time bomb. Getting the mascot from old Evans. A key behind a grating that looks like it may fit the grating. Getting some money to buy the Ekmek Special. Getting across the sacred ground without becoming a crispy critter. Inventory: a fig the Rod of Fire a steel wrench a daisy chain (around your neck, made from yellow daisies and causes certain objects to turn into featureless mahogany rods when waved) a canvas rucksack (which is open, actually a bag of holding) a papyrus fragment a smooth round stone a Tarot box (which is open) three Tarot cards: the Castle, Star and Eight of Wands a croquet mallet an antique jewellery box (which is open but empty) a cracked medicine bottle (which is open but empty) a framed charcoal sketch (of the Palace of Alexandria) a model golden sceptre a bunch of nuts a silk handkerchief a marble rose a spade a hard wooden ball a bird whistle a photographer's flash (which is closed, has space for a timer mechanism) a postcard of the Champs-Elysees Hobson's classical dictionary the History of the Meldrews (vol. II) the Rods of Husbandry, Returning, Luck and Stalking a delicate gold key (unlocks the jewellery box) a gothic-looking iron key a small brass key (unlocks the door from Dark Passage to Garden Stream and the trapdoor in Priest's Hole) four Tarot cards: the Fool, Drowned Sailor, Ace of Cups and Grim Reaper an electric torch (providing light and closed) some old gardeners' gloves (being worn) Score You are passing among the strange, unearthly world of the Tarot box. You have so far scored 193 out of a possible 550, in 1042 turns, giving you the rank of Adventurer. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
/| |
X j a-d
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f q-p
\ |
k-g-l
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n-i m
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o r
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s
b=Old Winery c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless) d=Servant's Room (scarf) e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima) f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper) g=Over the East Wing h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar) i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand, smoke detector) j=Airing Cupboard k=Dark Room l=East Annexe m=Dead End (down/east to Beside the Drive) n=Library Storage o=Souvenirs Room (slide projector, ship in a bottle) p=Inside Cupboard (big iron fireplace, open skylight with crank handle, up to Roof) q=Chimney (down to Priest's Hole) r=Alison's Writing Room (bed) s=Tiny Balcony X=game over Meldrew Hall, cellar: Code:
c-a-b | d b=Wine Cellars c=Cellar West (locked door leading northwest, down to Hellish Place) d=Cellars South (robot mouse, hole in wall) Meldrew Hall, gardens and shaft area: Code:
j-i-i-i-
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i
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i
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-i-i-i-i-i-m
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i
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g-f-b-d-e
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h a-c u
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l-n-o q-s-t
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k p
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r
b=Family Tree (plane tree, up to Up the Plane Tree) c=Beside the Wall (potted shrub, one-way path down to Wine Cellar) d=Lawn Ornaments (dark well too small to enter, miniature, weed killer bottle, prayer book, romantic novel, green branch, gas mask) e=Mosaic [can be lagach-ed] f=Clearing g=Garage (garden roller) h=Vegetable Garden (runner bean plant) i=Maze j=Viewpoint Ledge (plaque) k=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) l=Dark Passage m=Patio in Maze (down to Crypt) n=Sandstone Passage o=The Octagon (window vent, gilded coffin used to identify rods, scroll) p=White Hallway (painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe [can be lagach-ed], elephant's foot umbrella stand) q=Bricked Path r=Halfway up the Stairs (up to Servant's Room) s=Hedgery t=Croquet Lawn (colored peg, wickets) u=Summer House (gold watch which is visible but unattainable) Catacombs below the gardens: Code:
a Meldrew Hall, roof: Code:
b \ a b=Battlements Meldrew Hall, ???: Code:
a Northeast of the House: Code:
c | b / a b=Public Footpath (down to Hollow) c=Stone Cross (Old Evans with his lucky mascot) Northeast of the House, Hollow: Code:
a Unreal City: Code:
g>b-c
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h-d-a-e>f
b=Shadowy Hallway (up to Consulting Room) c=Bohemia (mural [can be lagach-ed]) d=Down by River e=Near Ring Road (down to Chatelet-les-Halles) f=Chatelet-les-Halles (map salesman) g=Consulting Room (down to Shadowy Hallway) h=On board the Phlebas (saying "time" will take the protagonist to Garden Stream) Tarot box: Code:
a e
c
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b
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d
f g-h-i
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l k j
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m
b=Aboard Ship (examine model ship; up to Up the Mast) c=Prow of the Lady Magdalena d=Stern e=Ruined Castle Cafe f=Sea Shore (Andromeda, up to Cliffs) g=Cliffs (down to Sea Shore) h=Clifftop Walk i=Outside Taverna (fig tree) j=Eraina Taverna (Ekmek Special, bartender) k=Wall of Thorns l=Cave Mouth (obsidian altar, flaming bronze urn; you are here) m=Sacred Earth (south to death by divine wrath) Alexandria: Code:
b | a \ b=Island of Pharos (grating, rusty iron key behind grating) Hamburg by night: Code:
b / a | e-c-d f b=Revolving Door c=Hall of Exhibits (still life [can be lagach-ed]) d=Cabinet Room e=Dark Staircase (down/south to...?) f=Coven Cell (goat) Deaths Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Spooked: 1 (haunted by the ghost of Sir Joshua Meldrewe) Died: 6 (jumped off the mast of the Lady Magdalena without a parachute, spontaneous combustion, brutally sacrificed by a druidic coven, blown to bits by a time bomb, incinerated myself with the Rod of Fire, electrocuted by the wrath of Zeus) Total: 12 |
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#263
06-11-2012, 03:42 AM
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Well, as I said, in my next update, I'll restore to before going to ancient Greece. As I vaguely hinted at a few times, the "secret rod" is the Eight of Wands tarot card, but can you figure out what other use it might have before being converted into rod form? Again, remember the description of the bronze mural and where a tarot card might be useful. Until next time!
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#264
06-14-2012, 03:14 PM
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Well, time for my third post in a row. The place I was hinting at was Madame Sorostris' parlor in the Unreal City. Now, we left the poetry book 185 years in the past, but fortunately, the mural means that we can lagach our way there, and we're conveniently close to Mad Isaac's portrait. So...
>se White Hallway Mad Isaac's painting glares at you from the picture hook. There's an old-fashioned elephant's foot umbrella stand beside the garden doorway. >painting, lagach A swirl of wind snakes out from the painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe and whisks you away to... Mosaic This sunken corner of the garden has been excavated and then covered over with tough perspex to protect it from visitors' shoes. It consists of a time-worn Roman mosaic, divided into four quadrants, each showing scenes of idealised Roman life. There was probably a villa on this site, but your family has never been keen on archaeologists so the excavations went no further. >mosaic, lagach A swirl of wind snakes out from the Roman mosaic and whisks you away to... Crypt A dismal crypt, disused, rainswept and strewn with leaves. Light streams in from the square hole in the roof. There are no bones or urns on show. The south wall forms a giant bronze mural, which has stood the test of time. >mural, lagach A swirl of wind snakes out from the bronze mural and whisks you away to... Bohemia Flats occupied by starving-but-noble artists can be romantic and stylish despite the squalor. This one, however, is simply a one-room hovel, caked with paint, littered with brushes and improvised easels, and you can't help standing on tiptoe here. One whole wall is an Impressionist mural painting of lilies on a pond. And, now we're back in the Unreal City. Now to head back to Madame Sorostris' place. >w Shadowy Hallway You can see a poster here. >u Consulting Room Now, the bronze mural in the Crypt hinted at three Tarot cards, all of which are conveniently in our possession. So, we're going to use those cards to literally stack the deck in our favor. >get eight of wands (putting the papyrus fragment into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. >get star (putting the Rod of Returning into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. >get maiden (putting the Rod of Husbandry into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. >put eight of wands on pack You carefully lay the Eight of Wands face down on the tarot pack. >put maiden on pack You carefully lay the Maiden face down on the tarot pack. >put star on pack You carefully lay the Star face down on the tarot pack. >ring bell Madame Sosostris breezes in once more. "You again," she says warily. "Let us see how your fortunes have changed." Madame Sosostris picks up the cards and deals them onto the table. She frowns in concentration as the Star, the Maiden and then the Eight of Wands show. "You have come! At last, after all these centuries! But there is little I can do to ease your way, save to return the staff you left with me for safe keeping." And she shows you out. You feel rather bewildered. Unreal City This is a city side street, but as if seen through the grey of despair. People stream by, some of whom you almost recognise, as if dead. The street runs east-west, and to the north is a doorway into a grubby tenement building. So, apparently I'm some sort of chosen one...or at least have the power to cheat fate. Now to go get those tarot cards back, since I'll be needing them in the future. >n Shadowy Hallway You can see a poster here. >u Consulting Room You can see three Tarot cards (the Eight of Wands, Maiden and Star) here. >get all Eight of Wands: Taken. Maiden: Taken. Star: (putting the oak quarterstaff into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. Tarot pack: That's funny. For a moment there your hand seemed to go straight through the pack of cards without touching it! curtain: That's hardly portable. bell push: That's hardly portable. So, I've got an oak quarterstaff now. This is another rod (as is the Eight of Wands, as I mentioned), and conveniently enough, the Octagon isn't far off, so let's go a-converting! >d Shadowy Hallway You can see a poster here. >s Unreal City >w Down by River Moored close to the bank is a glass-roofed tourist boat. >w On board the Phlebas The hollow man mechanically says: "Where to, guv'nor? Me with my big mouth, I gone and done it again, calling you the guv'nor. I was down Margate Sands way once, had a bloke come on board, he thought any old destination would do, like a real place, like anywhere was real... We are the hollow men, I says, he didn't like that... Hurry up, please, it's time." >say time (to the hollow man) You lose all sense of time and place as the boat drifts down river... It comes as a considerable relief to your befuddled nerves when the man helps you off the boat again, and you find yourself: Garden Stream In the lush, verdant (which is to say, under-cared for) gardens of Meldrew House, where a stream gurgles pleasantly as it meanders through reeds. The house rises up high above you to the south and you dare not be seen from the windows by the rest of the family, so you'll have to go northwest, deeper into the gardens, or else east along a path hugging the wall. On the house wall is a coal bunker, whose door stands open. >s Dark Passage A secret passage slants down to the east through a sandstone recess. At the north end is a metal door, standing open. >e Sandstone Passage >e The Octagon There is a little window-vent high in the southwest wall. A rather morbid gilded model coffin rests open here. Leaned against one of the eight corners is a ragged white parchment scroll. >wave wands Light pulses around the daisy chain, then leaps out to engulf the Eight of Wands which melts into a featureless mahogany rod! [Your score has just gone up by six points.] >put rod in coffin (the featureless mahogany rod in the gilded model coffin) The mahogany rod fits in perfectly. >close coffin The coffin sparks, spitting with electricity, and begins throbbing with a life of its own! >open coffin You open the gilded model coffin, revealing the Rod of Infinity. Ooh...the Rod of Infinity. Sounds quite impressive. But what of the other rod? >get rod of infinity Taken. >get quarterstaff (putting the Maiden into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. >wave quarterstaff Light pulses around the daisy chain, then leaps out to engulf the oak quarterstaff which melts into a featureless mahogany rod! [Your score has just gone up by six points.] >put rod in coffin Which do you mean, the featureless mahogany rod, the Rod of Infinity, the Rod of Husbandry, the Rod of Returning, the Rod of Luck, the Rod of Fire or the Rod of Stalking? >featureless Which do you mean, the featureless mahogany rod or the Rod of Infinity? >put featureless rod in coffin Which do you mean, the featureless mahogany rod or the Rod of Infinity? >mahogany Which do you mean, the featureless mahogany rod or the Rod of Infinity? For some reason, the parser considers the Rod of Infinity just another featureless mahogany rod. So I'll have to do something about that. >se I didn't understand that sentence. >se White Hallway Mad Isaac's painting glares at you from the picture hook. There's an old-fashioned elephant's foot umbrella stand beside the garden doorway. If you're wondering, I had to type "se" twice because the first one was interpreted as a response to "Which do you mean, the featureless mahogany rod or the Rod of Infinity?" Parser, thou art truly a worth opponent. Quote:
Dropped. And now, to FINALLY get this new rod converted. >nw The Octagon There is a little window-vent high in the southwest wall. A rather morbid gilded model coffin rests open here. Leaned against one of the eight corners is a ragged white parchment scroll. >put featureless rod in coffin The mahogany rod fits in perfectly. >close coffin The coffin sparks, spitting with electricity, and begins throbbing with a life of its own! >open coffin You open the gilded model coffin, revealing the Rod of Bronze. >get rod of bronze Taken. And now we should be able to carry around the Rod of Infinity without any quibbles with the parser for a while. >se White Hallway Mad Isaac's painting glares at you from the picture hook. There's an old-fashioned elephant's foot umbrella stand beside the garden doorway. You can also see the Rod of Infinity here. >get rod of infinity Taken. So, with that all settled, where to from here? Puzzles: Defusing the time bomb. Getting the mascot from old Evans. A key behind a grating that looks like it may fit the grating. Getting some money to buy the Ekmek Special. Getting across the sacred ground without becoming a crispy critter. Inventory: the Rods of Infinity and Bronze the Star a daisy chain (around your neck, made from yellow daisies and causes certain objects to turn into featureless mahogany rods when waved) a canvas rucksack (which is open, actually a bag of holding)
some old gardeners' gloves (being worn) Score This is the afternoon of June 3rd, 1993, and you are in Meldrew Hall. You have so far scored 200 out of a possible 550, in 1043 turns, giving you the rank of Adventurer. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f q-p
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k-g-l
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n-i m
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o r
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s
b=Old Winery c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless) d=Servant's Room (scarf) e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima) f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper) g=Over the East Wing h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar) i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand, smoke detector) j=Airing Cupboard k=Dark Room l=East Annexe m=Dead End (down/east to Beside the Drive) n=Library Storage o=Souvenirs Room (slide projector, ship in a bottle) p=Inside Cupboard (big iron fireplace, open skylight with crank handle, up to Roof) q=Chimney (down to Priest's Hole) r=Alison's Writing Room (bed) s=Tiny Balcony X=game over Meldrew Hall, cellar: Code:
c-a-b | d b=Wine Cellars c=Cellar West (locked door leading northwest, down to Hellish Place) d=Cellars South (robot mouse, hole in wall) Meldrew Hall, gardens and shaft area: Code:
j-i-i-i-
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i
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-i-i-i-i-i-m
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g-f-b-d-e
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h a-c u
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l-n-o q-s-t
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k p
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b=Family Tree (plane tree, up to Up the Plane Tree) c=Beside the Wall (potted shrub, one-way path down to Wine Cellar) d=Lawn Ornaments (dark well too small to enter, miniature, weed killer bottle, prayer book, romantic novel, green branch, gas mask) e=Mosaic [can be lagach-ed] f=Clearing g=Garage (garden roller) h=Vegetable Garden (runner bean plant) i=Maze j=Viewpoint Ledge (plaque) k=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) l=Dark Passage m=Patio in Maze (down to Crypt) n=Sandstone Passage o=The Octagon (window vent, gilded coffin used to identify rods, scroll) p=White Hallway (painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe [can be lagach-ed], elephant's foot umbrella stand; you are here) q=Bricked Path r=Halfway up the Stairs (up to Servant's Room) s=Hedgery t=Croquet Lawn (colored peg, wickets) u=Summer House (gold watch which is visible but unattainable) Catacombs below the gardens: Code:
a Meldrew Hall, roof: Code:
b \ a b=Battlements Meldrew Hall, ???: Code:
a Northeast of the House: Code:
c | b / a b=Public Footpath (down to Hollow) c=Stone Cross (Old Evans with his lucky mascot) Northeast of the House, Hollow: Code:
a Unreal City: Code:
g>b-c
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h-d-a-e>f
b=Shadowy Hallway (up to Consulting Room) c=Bohemia (mural [can be lagach-ed]) d=Down by River e=Near Ring Road (down to Chatelet-les-Halles) f=Chatelet-les-Halles (map salesman) g=Consulting Room (down to Shadowy Hallway) h=On board the Phlebas (saying "time" will take the protagonist to Garden Stream) Tarot box: Code:
a e
c
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f g-h-i
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l k j
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m
b=Aboard Ship (examine model ship; up to Up the Mast) c=Prow of the Lady Magdalena d=Stern e=Ruined Castle Cafe f=Sea Shore (Andromeda, up to Cliffs) g=Cliffs (down to Sea Shore) h=Clifftop Walk i=Outside Taverna (fig tree) j=Eraina Taverna (Ekmek Special, bartender) k=Wall of Thorns l=Cave Mouth (obsidian altar, flaming bronze urn) m=Sacred Earth (south to death by divine wrath) Alexandria: Code:
b | a \ b=Island of Pharos (grating, rusty iron key behind grating) Hamburg by night: Code:
b / a | e-c-d f b=Revolving Door c=Hall of Exhibits (still life [can be lagach-ed]) d=Cabinet Room e=Dark Staircase (down/south to...?) f=Coven Cell (goat) Deaths Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Spooked: 1 (haunted by the ghost of Sir Joshua Meldrewe) Died: 6 (jumped off the mast of the Lady Magdalena without a parachute, spontaneous combustion, brutally sacrificed by a druidic coven, blown to bits by a time bomb, incinerated myself with the Rod of Fire, electrocuted by the wrath of Zeus) Total: 12 |
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#266
06-14-2012, 04:40 PM
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Hm... could we use the Rod of Bronze to turn the time bomb into a useless hunk of bronze? Or maybe the Rod of Infinity will do something to it, I dunno.
Or maybe the new rods will help us cross the sacred grounds somehow? |
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#269
06-20-2012, 10:08 AM
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Well, it's been a while, but my computer was in the shop for a few days, and when I got it back I found out that a lot of the stuff from the last few days hadn't been backed up, including my most recent save. So...yeah. :P Anyway, back to the quest. First, let's try using ourself as a guinea pig for our two shiny new rods.
>strike rod of infinity The rod charges with etherial power, drawn up from the earth through ley lines... >point it at me You acquire no especial sense of the infinite. >strike rod of bronze The rod charges with etherial power, drawn up from the earth through ley lines... >point it at me You acquire a sudden sun tan, but it soon fades. At least it's not fatal. Now, someone suggested trying the Rod of Bronze on the time bomb, so let's give it a shot. >s Halfway up the Stairs >u Servant's Room A tight door stands open in the northern wall, giving onto the servants' staircase. An old striped scarf hangs up behind the doorway. >w Attic There is a closed trapdoor in the middle of the floor. >s Old Furniture You can see some wrapping paper with reindeer on here. >se Over the East Wing >s Disused Observatory Austin, your incorrigible ginger cat, lounges around here. Mounted on the old telescope stand is what looks like a solid glass ball. A beam of white light runs into the room from the slide projector to the south, and hits the glass ball, which diffracts it into a beautiful spectrum across the ceiling. >s Souvenirs Room You can see a ship in a bottle here. The south wall is lit up by the projector. A beam of white light points directly backward from the projector, through the north doorway into the Observatory. >get castle (putting the Star into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. >put it in projector The south wall lights up with the picture on the Castle, beautifully magnified and amazingly life-like. Why, you'd hardly know there was a wall there at all. >s You walk confidently into the south wall... Ruined Castle Cafe This crowded, bohemian cafe bears only a passing resemblance to the ruined castle of the Tarot card: the decor imitates castle walls and arrowslits. You find yourself sitting at a table for one in the centre of the cafe floor. It is noisy, bustling and cheery, and a string quartet plays Strauss under the chattering of German voices. Your chances of attracting a waiter are very slight. Over in one corner, you can see a little square window, behind which must be the store of cups and glasses. Remembering this, you are distracted and unable to enjoy the entertainment. Even the table is annoying. It must have one leg shorter than the rest, or something, because it rattles now and then. The table rattles again. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] >look under table Now don't panic, but there's a ticking bomb loosely taped to the underside of the table you're sitting at! The clock is ticking downwards, and is eight minutes short of the red zone. All four wires are plugged into the timer. >strike rod of bronze You look rather conspicuous striking the rod on the cafe table, but everyone else assumes you're part of the cabaret. Anyway, the rod charges up as usual. The clock is ticking downwards, and is seven minutes short of the red zone. All four wires are plugged into the timer. >point it at bomb Nothing obvious happens. The clock is ticking downwards, and is six minutes short of the red zone. All four wires are plugged into the timer. Well, that didn't quite work. But maybe if I made it infinity minutes instead of six... >point it at bomb Nothing obvious happens. The clock is ticking downwards, and is four minutes short of the red zone. All four wires are plugged into the timer. Or not. But maybe the wrench would work? >hit bomb with wrench Violence isn't the answer to this one. The clock is ticking downwards, and is two minutes short of the red zone. All four wires are plugged into the timer. Sometimes I wonder why I keep this thing around. Anyway, it doesn't look like I'll be able to do anything here, so I'll restore back to just after acquiring the two new rods. Hmm, come to think of it, wasn't there a bronze mural somewhere? Maybe the Rod of Bronze would work there, and it's conveniently a lagach point, so... >restore Please supply a filename for restore Ok. >painting, lagach A swirl of wind snakes out from the painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe and whisks you away to... Mosaic This sunken corner of the garden has been excavated and then covered over with tough perspex to protect it from visitors' shoes. It consists of a time-worn Roman mosaic, divided into four quadrants, each showing scenes of idealised Roman life. There was probably a villa on this site, but your family has never been keen on archaeologists so the excavations went no further. >mosaic, lagach A swirl of wind snakes out from the Roman mosaic and whisks you away to... Crypt A dismal crypt, disused, rainswept and strewn with leaves. Light streams in from the square hole in the roof. There are no bones or urns on show. The south wall forms a giant bronze mural, which has stood the test of time. And now, the moment of truth. >strike rod of bronze The rod charges with etherial power, drawn up from the earth through ley lines... >point it at mural With an awful heaving, wrenching noise, the mural slides a little sideways, opening up a murky downward passage which can't have been used for centuries. And into the depths... >d Jagged Passage An eerie passage, running down from an opening at the north to murky depths in the south. The walls are jagged, uneven and decorated with bones. An unpleasantly stale, charnel odour drifts in through a gap to the east. You appear to be standing on a wrought iron key. Well, keys are always good, so let's take it. >take key (the long wrought iron key) (putting the Star into the canvas rucksack to make room) Taken. And with that, I end this update with a question asked since about three minutes before the beginning of time: should I go south or east? Puzzles: Defusing the time bomb. Getting the mascot from old Evans. A key behind a grating that looks like it may fit the grating. Getting some money to buy the Ekmek Special. Getting across the sacred ground without becoming a crispy critter. Inventory: Inventory: a long wrought iron key the Rods of Infinity and Bronze a daisy chain (around your neck, made from yellow daisies and causes certain objects to turn into featureless mahogany rods when waved) a canvas rucksack (which is open, actually a bag of holding)
some old gardeners' gloves (being worn) Score: It is the afternoon of June 3rd, 1993, and you are in the catacombs beneath the gardens. You have so far scored 200 out of a possible 550, in 1049 turns, giving you the rank of Adventurer. Maps Meldrew Hall, attic: Code:
e-c-b-h
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X j a-d
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f q-p
\ |
k-g-l
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n-i m
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o r
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s
b=Old Winery c=Aunt Jemima's Lair (wireless) d=Servant's Room (scarf) e=Potting Room (Aunt Jemima) f=Old Furniture (wrapping paper) g=Over the East Wing h=Storage Room (wheel with handle, dumbwaiter leading to Cellar) i=Disused Observatory (glass ball on telescope stand, smoke detector) j=Airing Cupboard k=Dark Room l=East Annexe m=Dead End (down/east to Beside the Drive) n=Library Storage o=Souvenirs Room (slide projector, ship in a bottle) p=Inside Cupboard (big iron fireplace, open skylight with crank handle, up to Roof) q=Chimney (down to Priest's Hole) r=Alison's Writing Room (bed) s=Tiny Balcony X=game over Meldrew Hall, cellar: Code:
c-a-b | d b=Wine Cellars c=Cellar West (locked door leading northwest, down to Hellish Place) d=Cellars South (robot mouse, hole in wall) Meldrew Hall, gardens and shaft area: Code:
j-i-i-i-
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g-f-b-d-e
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h a-c u
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k p
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b=Family Tree (plane tree, up to Up the Plane Tree) c=Beside the Wall (potted shrub, one-way path down to Wine Cellar) d=Lawn Ornaments (dark well too small to enter, miniature, weed killer bottle, prayer book, romantic novel, green branch, gas mask) e=Mosaic [can be lagach-ed] f=Clearing g=Garage (garden roller) h=Vegetable Garden (runner bean plant) i=Maze j=Viewpoint Ledge (plaque) k=Dark Shaft (dumbwaiter to Storage Room) l=Dark Passage m=Patio in Maze (down to Crypt) n=Sandstone Passage o=The Octagon (window vent, gilded coffin used to identify rods, scroll) p=White Hallway (painting of Mad Isaac Meldrewe [can be lagach-ed], elephant's foot umbrella stand) q=Bricked Path r=Halfway up the Stairs (up to Servant's Room) s=Hedgery t=Croquet Lawn (colored peg, wickets) u=Summer House (gold watch which is visible but unattainable) Catacombs below the gardens: Code:
a | b- | b=Jagged Passage (you are here) Meldrew Hall, roof: Code:
b \ a b=Battlements Meldrew Hall, ???: Code:
a Northeast of the House: Code:
c | b / a b=Public Footpath (down to Hollow) c=Stone Cross (Old Evans with his lucky mascot) Northeast of the House, Hollow: Code:
a Unreal City: Code:
g>b-c
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h-d-a-e>f
b=Shadowy Hallway (up to Consulting Room) c=Bohemia (mural [can be lagach-ed]) d=Down by River e=Near Ring Road (down to Chatelet-les-Halles) f=Chatelet-les-Halles (map salesman) g=Consulting Room (down to Shadowy Hallway) h=On board the Phlebas (saying "time" will take the protagonist to Garden Stream) Tarot box: Code:
a e
c
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d
f g-h-i
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l k j
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m
b=Aboard Ship (examine model ship; up to Up the Mast) c=Prow of the Lady Magdalena d=Stern e=Ruined Castle Cafe f=Sea Shore (Andromeda, up to Cliffs) g=Cliffs (down to Sea Shore) h=Clifftop Walk i=Outside Taverna (fig tree) j=Eraina Taverna (Ekmek Special, bartender) k=Wall of Thorns l=Cave Mouth (obsidian altar, flaming bronze urn) m=Sacred Earth (south to death by divine wrath) Alexandria: Code:
b | a \ b=Island of Pharos (grating, rusty iron key behind grating) Hamburg by night: Code:
b / a | e-c-d f b=Revolving Door c=Hall of Exhibits (still life [can be lagach-ed]) d=Cabinet Room e=Dark Staircase (down/south to...?) f=Coven Cell (goat) Deaths Missed the point entirely: 5 (irritated Aunt Jemima by trying to steal her gardening gloves, gave up on the search, broke a pipe and had to call a plumber, lectured by Aunt Jemima for four hours, burned down most of the attic) Spooked: 1 (haunted by the ghost of Sir Joshua Meldrewe) Died: 6 (jumped off the mast of the Lady Magdalena without a parachute, spontaneous combustion, brutally sacrificed by a druidic coven, blown to bits by a time bomb, incinerated myself with the Rod of Fire, electrocuted by the wrath of Zeus) Total: 12 By the way, if there's anything you want me to ask the demon in the basement about, feel free to let me know. I know I should have brought this up more often, but it just kept slipping my mind. Gomen. |