A tale as old as time… let's play Bronze!

[Kahran042]

Bronze is part of Emily Short's Fractured Fairy Tale series of interactive fiction games, adapted from Beauty and the Beast. In addition to being my favorite adaptation of BatB, it's also one of my favorite fairy-tale adaptations, period, and one of my favorite IF games due to its incredible descriptions of the Beast's castle. But let's stop talking about it and actually start playing.

When the seventh day comes and it is time for you to return to the castle in the forest, your sisters cling to your sleeves.

"Don't go back," they say, and "When will we ever see you again?" But you imagine they will find consolation somewhere.

Your father hangs back, silent and moody. He has spent the week as far from you as possible, working until late at night. Now he speaks only to ask whether the Beast treated you "properly." Since he obviously has his own ideas about what must have taken place over the past few years, you do not reply beyond a shrug.

You breathe more easily once you're back in the forest, alone.




Bronze
A fractured fairy tale by Emily Short
Release 11 / Serial number 060503 / Inform 7 build 3K27 (I6/v6.30 lib 6/10N)

Have you played interactive fiction before? >

I have, but this game has some special commands that other IF doesn't, so I'll say no.

Some extra command help is provided, though you may turn it off at any time.

Drawbridge
Even in your short absence, the castle has come to look strange to you again. When you came here first, you stood a long while on the drawbridge, unready to cross the moat, for fear of the spells that might bind you if you did. This time it is too late to worry about such things.

An iron-barred gate leads north.


Some options to try (to play without guidance, type novice mode off):
look
examine (X) the castle, the moat, or yourself
think about a specific room or object to get a clue
help to see a more complete set of instructions

Ah, some things to examine, and some commands to try out. It should be noted that as long as we remain in novice mode, this list of options will appear after every command input, but I'll do you the favor of not including it. You're welcome.

Bronze has a few special commands not found in every game.

GO TO {any room} will allow you to travel automatically, assuming that there are no locked doors or other impediments in your way.

FIND {any object} will similarly take you to any items you have seen already (but not find anything that you haven't seen yet).

LOOK {a direction} will tell you what lies that way without your having to go there.

ROOMS will list all the rooms you have visited so far; OBJECTS will similarly list all the things you have seen in the course of the game.

THINK ABOUT {any object} will provide extra information and sometimes context-sensitive hints, depending on what you have done so far.

NOVICE MODE ON and NOVICE MODE OFF toggle the functioning of novice mode, which puts in bold-face the names of objects the player might want to attend to, and offers some command suggestions each turn. The game runs very slightly more slowly in novice mode because it is also calculating what the player might like to do at each turn. It is recommended that the novice player try this for a while, then turn it off when he gets the hang of the command-driven interface. Novice mode does not list every possible command, only those that seem especially obvious or relevant at any given moment.

And now to actually examine some of the things that the game suggested examining.

>x castle
The drawbridge looks longer than it actually is; the towers are so high that the tops are lost in cloud, and looking east or west, you cannot see the furthest extent of the walls. An optical illusion: it is smaller inside.

Probably.

>x moat
The moat is full of slightly oily brown water. If you had been physically imprisoned, you might have tried to swim across; so it is just as well that you were not.

>x me
You are nontrivially the worse for your journey -- hungry, dirty, and tired. But all that can be seen to later.

Now to try thinking about things.

>think about castle
You can't think of anything further on the topic.

>think about moat
You are too far from the moat to do anything but look.

>think about me
You'll be well enough, if you can settle matters here.

Not much else here, and there's only one way to go, so let's go…

>north
(first opening the iron-barred gate)
You shouldn't be able to open it, heavy as it is, but it swings aside lightly at your touch. The Beast said that it knows friend from enemy; and the castle, at least, still regards you as friend.

Entrance Hall
There is no fire in the big fireplace, and no one is waiting for you here; the air is very cold. Over the gate, the old familiar warning sign is painted.

Various passages lead deeper into the castle: north towards the central courtyard, southwest to the guard tower, east and west into the libraries, the offices, the galleries. Somewhere in this maze, he waits; and he should be told as soon as possible that you did return.

An iron-barred gate leads south to the drawbridge.

More directions to visit, but there are also some things to examine, so let's do that.

>x fireplace
Unlit, vacant. It is almost as though you are not expected.

>x sign
You know the words by heart, having heard them first from your father, and then studied them yourself on many more recent occasions.

You read: Those who seek to leave the castle depart at peril of their lives and souls, unless another servant be provided in exchange, or a fixed term of absence be granted by their master.

>x gate
It stands open and unlocked.

And, with that out of the way, which way should we go first?

Current puzzles:
None yet.

Maps
|
-b-
/|
a
a=Drawbridge
b=Entrance Hall

Unexplored paths:
North from Entrance Hall.
East from Entrance Hall.
Southwest from Entrance Hall.
West from Entrance Hall.

Inventory:
Nothing.

 

[Mogri]

Emily Short is one of the all-time greats. Looking forward to this.

 

[Kahran042]

Since there haven't been any suggestions as to which way to go, might as well check them all out, in clockwise order. I also took the liberty of turning novice mode off, because it's pretty annoying.

>n

Central Courtyard
Open to a grey sky, from which a light rain falls. You have never seen the courtyard otherwise: it rains in every season, winter or summer, no matter what lies beyond the moat.

It was here that you first laid eyes on the Beast: emerging from the State Rooms, snarling. He seemed angry at you for coming, even though you had had no choice. Or perhaps (you thought) he was simply violent. You did not run.

The castle proper opens both north and south, and to the east a helical staircase ascends to the roof.

>s

Entrance Hall
There is no fire in the big fireplace; the air is very cold. Over the gate, the old familiar warning sign is painted.

Various passages lead deeper into the castle: north towards the central courtyard, southwest to the guard tower, east and west into the libraries, the offices, the galleries. Somewhere in this maze, he waits; and he should be told as soon as possible that you did return.

An iron-barred gate leads south to the drawbridge.

>e

Scarlet Gallery
You do not often come this way, into the older part of the castle, which is narrow and has a low roof. The walls, and the ceiling too, are deep scarlet, the color of the old king and queen that ruled here two hundred fifty years ago, when there was still a kingdom.

There aren't any exits listed in the room description, but they are displayed in the status line. Specifically, there are exits to the northeast, east, and southeast. But let's get back to exploring the rooms accessible from the entrance hall before checking those out.

>w

Entrance Hall
There is no fire in the big fireplace; the air is very cold. Over the gate, the old familiar warning sign is painted.

Various passages lead deeper into the castle: north towards the central courtyard, southwest to the guard tower, east and west into the libraries, the offices, the galleries. Somewhere in this maze, he waits; and he should be told as soon as possible that you did return.

An iron-barred gate leads south to the drawbridge.

>sw

Guard Tower
A round tower offering protection to the drawbridge.

>ne

Entrance Hall
There is no fire in the big fireplace; the air is very cold. Over the gate, the old familiar warning sign is painted.

Various passages lead deeper into the castle: north towards the central courtyard, southwest to the guard tower, east and west into the libraries, the offices, the galleries. Somewhere in this maze, he waits; and he should be told as soon as possible that you did return.

An iron-barred gate leads south to the drawbridge.

>w

Great Dining Hall
Such a long hall that the soup might get cold between one end and the other. You and he used only the far west end, nearest the kitchen. Once you took to dining together at all, that is; the first few months he brought trays to your room, while you hid.

But then you took to eating here; and at the end of every meal he would stand up formally and ask his question.

"You can leave at any time," he said, when he first spoke to you. You stared at him, surprised that someone with his face and teeth was capable of human communication. "Would you like to go?"

There are other memories, more recent, of course. Every glance around the room reminds you of a different one.

This is a hint that looking again will result in a new description, with a flashback to Beauty's dinners with the Beast. So…

>look
Great Dining Hall
You allow yourself to remember another night, another request.

"I'm surprised you haven't gone home yet," he said very early in your stay.

"I've heard stories," you replied. "As if there weren't enough to see around the castle. I know what happens to your servants who try to leave you."

"Nothing bad would happen to you," he said. But you could not believe him, not with all the captured spirits, not with the stories, not with the evidence around the castle.

>look
Great Dining Hall
You allow yourself to remember another night, another request.

"And now -- would you like to go home?"

You bit your lip. It had been a pleasant conversation, up until now, when you are reminded: however nicely he may behave, he is still the king of a cursed line, and not to be trusted.

>look
Great Dining Hall
You allow yourself to remember another night, another request.

"I assure you," he added. "No harm will come to you if you do go."

"I only have your word for that," you replied, looking stubbornly into your soupbowl.

He sat. "I am unable to lie to you," he said. "It is one of the conditions placed upon us. We can only tell the truth."

"And why should I believe that?"

He raised his glass. "I'll try again tomorrow."

>look
Great Dining Hall
You allow yourself to remember another night, another request.

"Were you ever married?" you asked, ignoring his question.

"No."

"Then you have no heirs?"

"I have no legitimate sons," he replied. "But I certainly have an heir, somewhere. If I died, somewhere, someone would inherit all this, and the whole system would go on as before, the servants and the contracts. But don't worry: I have tried, and it turns out that I don't die easily."

The system in question will be elaborated on throughout the game. For now, just know that the servants in questions aren't exactly singing candelabras and teapots.

>look
Great Dining Hall
You allow yourself to remember another night, another request.

"And you promise I would not regret it? Truthfully."

He coughed. "I don't know your future. And -- since you ask I must answer -- I don't think much of your father, a man who would barter his daughter's service for his own, especially since he had unflattering ideas of what I would do with you."

You sputtered. "Well of course you couldn't-- I mean, being an animal..."

His teeth gleamed. "I assure you I could," he said. "But I won't."

>look
Great Dining Hall
You allow yourself to remember another night, another request.

"I have become used to it here," you answered, surprising yourself. "There is plenty to read; there is the chessman, and games; and you are good company." He raised his glass with a half smile. "You'd rather stay here without me?"

"No," he said.

>look
Great Dining Hall
You allow yourself to remember another night, another request.

"I c-care for you," you said. "I am lonely without you, and you make me laugh, and you're nice..."

"Stop," he said. "And remind me never to order the port again."

He picked you up from your chair and your head rested on his shoulder. "But why can I not be in love... Oh, carry me carefully on the stairs: I feel sick!"

"Simply, pet," he said, walking slowly up the steps. "What you offer I couldn't accept. In fact, I'm not sure what you are offering. Do you have some fantasy of marrying me? Being my mistress?"

You could not think of the answer; there was no solution that was not absurd. He set you down carefully on the bed and went away. A moment later he came back, bright crimson bell in his left paw. "When you wake in the morning and are very ill, which you will be, ring this and the servants will bring a tonic appropriate to your condition."

So, the servants in the castle are controlled by bells. This will be important to know later.
On a lighter note, apparently Beauty can't hold her liquor.

>look
Great Dining Hall
You allow yourself to remember another night, another request.

"For a visit, if you won't go to stay?" he asked. "We could arrange that too, if you liked."

"And nothing bad would happen to anyone I cared about?" you demanded.

"Nothing bad would happen to you or to your family. There would be no ill health and no spiritual repercussions."

"You're leaving something out," you said, having gotten familiar with the precise way he speaks when hedging around a difficult fact.

"It could be unpleasant for me," he replied, strained. "But you mustn't stay because of my feelings on the matter. Your family miss you, and I am the villain in this piece."

>look
Great Dining Hall
You allow yourself to remember another night, another request.

"Don't mention the leaving thing once more," you said. "Or I will throw a glass at your head."

He sighed. "You are as stubborn as you are honorable," he said. "No doubt the two are related."

>look
Great Dining Hall
You allow yourself to remember another night, another request.

After a long time: "You haven't asked me to leave in a while," you said.

"Ah." He looked at his plate of food. "Of course you may go. I'm glad you believe my word about the effects, now."

"I will go to visit my family," you say, stressing the word visit. "On condition that you tell me how to do it so that I will not harm you. If you won't do that, I don't go."

He looked at you, his expression cloudy. "There is a very good reason why..."

"Those are my terms."

He sighed. "Very well," he said. "If your trip lasts fewer than seven days, it will have no effect on anything here." He looked down at his curled paw. "But if you don't come back -- and I imagine you won't -- I will forgive you."

And that's all of the flashbacks, and all of the exits from the Entrance Hall explored.
That being said, we've got quite a few new paths revealed, so where to next? Or do you want to think about some of the things we've seen?

Current puzzles:
None yet.

Maps
|
c-
| | /
-f-b-d-
/| \
e a
a=Drawbridge
b=Entrance Hall (you are here)
c=Central Courtyard
d=Scarlet Gallery
e=Guard Tower
f=Great Dining Hall

Unexplored paths:
North from Central Courtyard.
East from Central Courtyard.
Northeast from Scarlet Gallery.
East from Scarlet Gallery.
Southeast from Scarlet Gallery.
North from Great Dining Hall.
West from Great Dining Hall.

Inventory:
Nothing.

 

[Mogri]

Do some thinking!

 

[Kalista]

ok this looks amazing and I'm immediately going to stop reading this thread so I can play it myself.
maybe on stream.
I love Emily Short... I don't think I've laughed as hard at any other IF as I did playing Counterfeit Monkey, heh.

 

[Kirin]

Can we Think about the Beast, the Servants, and the System (or Curse or something)?

And while I’m very curious about the old parts of the castle to the East, it seems like the more immediate narrative is maybe pointing us West…

 

[Kalista]

Played up to finding the Beast and reviving him enough to have an initial conversation with him on stream Friday. Thanks for giving this some airtime, OP! Looking forward to playing more as soon as I can.

 

[Kahran042]

Can we Think about the Beast, the Servants, and the System (or Curse or something)?

Only one way to find out!

>think about beast
Keep exploring: you'll find him sooner or later.

Shall I go on? > y
There are more rooms that you can reach if you wander.

Unfortunately, there isn't anything to say about the servants or the curse. Sorry.

And while I’m very curious about the old parts of the castle to the East, it seems like the more immediate narrative is maybe pointing us West…

Sounds good to me!

>w

Enormous Kitchen
Haunted with the spirits of chefs past, generations and generations of culinary geniuses; one can never predict its whimsies. Unless he has moved everything, the bell to summon them into action should be in one of the rooms upstairs.

Not much here, other than an unmentioned exit to the north. Mogri suggested I do some thinking, so I decided to think about everything I've seen so far. However, the only thing with an interesting reply was the warning sign.

>think about sign
There were many times when you wanted to believe it was nonsense, but it conveys unmistakeable seriousness; and in any case you have seen enough else in various parts of the castle to be aware that strange powers do apply.

But the Beast assured you that you could leave and come back safely, with the right arrangements, which he was willing to make.

Where to now?

Current puzzles:
None yet, unless you count finding the Beast.

Maps
|
c-
| | | /
g-f-b-d-
/| \
e a
a=Drawbridge
b=Entrance Hall (you are here)
c=Central Courtyard
d=Scarlet Gallery
e=Guard Tower
f=Great Dining Hall
g=Enormous Kitchen

Unexplored paths:
North from Central Courtyard.
East from Central Courtyard.
Northeast from Scarlet Gallery.
East from Scarlet Gallery.
Southeast from Scarlet Gallery.
North from Great Dining Hall.
North from Enormous Kitchen.

Inventory:
Nothing.

 

[Kirin]

Eh, we’re already at this end, let’s see what’s north from the kitchen.

(I assume there hasn’t been much we could pick up in the rooms we’ve been in so far - glancing through the descriptions doesn’t seem to highlight anything movable…)

 

[Kahran042]

Eh, we’re already at this end, let’s see what’s north from the kitchen.

Sounds good to me!

>n

Servant Quarters
You've never come here before, and now you see why. Not a room friendly to visitors, it has the air of resentful, martyred suffering. Even His most unpleasant ancestors would not have grudged this place more paint, surely, and more straw for the beds.

A decaying ladder leads down.

(I assume there hasn’t been much we could pick up in the rooms we’ve been in so far - glancing through the descriptions doesn’t seem to highlight anything movable…)

You are correct.

Anyway, where to from here? Should we check out the ladder, or some of the other exits we've seen?

Current puzzles:
None yet.

Maps
|
h c-
| | | /
g-f-b-d-
/| \
e a
a=Drawbridge
b=Entrance Hall (you are here)
c=Central Courtyard
d=Scarlet Gallery
e=Guard Tower
f=Great Dining Hall
g=Enormous Kitchen
h=Servant Quarters (down to…?)

Unexplored paths:
North from Central Courtyard.
East from Central Courtyard.
Northeast from Scarlet Gallery.
East from Scarlet Gallery.
Southeast from Scarlet Gallery.
North from Great Dining Hall.
Down from Servant Quarters.

Inventory:
Nothing.

 

[Kahran042]

It's been a week since the last update, so I'm using my LPer's prerogative to explore every current exit. First of all, the "down" exit in this very room.

>d

Darkness
Though a dim light filters down from the servant quarters, you can see almost nothing of the contents of your current location. You find yourself concentrating all the more alertly on your hearing, as though the slightest echo might offer a clue.

You hear some dry sifting from the northeast.

Hmmm… the compass rose in the status line doesn't give any indicators of exits. There might be an exit to the northeast, but I don't want to get lost in the darkness, even if there aren't any grues in this castle. Instead, let's check out some of the other exits on the main floor.

>u

Servant Quarters
Not a room friendly to visitors, it has the air of resentful, martyred suffering. Even His most unpleasant ancestors would not have grudged this place more paint, surely, and more straw for the beds.

A decaying ladder leads down.

And now to show off one of this game's special commands, which will come in handy once we've explored more of the castle.

>go to great dining hall
You head south to the enormous kitchen. And finally east to the great dining hall.

Great Dining Hall
Such a long hall that the soup might get cold between one end and the other. You and he used only the far west end, nearest the kitchen. Once you took to dining together at all, that is; the first few months he brought trays to your room, while you hid.

But then you took to eating here; and at the end of every meal he would stand up formally and ask his question.

There's an exit to the north, but…

>n
You find your way blocked by a phantom guard. Somewhere nearby you hear chimes.

As soon as you back up, he disperses into smoke again.

…it's guarded. There is a way to get by these guards, but it won't be accessible for a while. The next area with unexplored exits is the courtyard.

>go to central courtyard
You head east to the entrance hall. And finally north to the central courtyard.

Central Courtyard
Open to a grey sky, from which a light rain falls. You have never seen the courtyard otherwise: it rains in every season, winter or summer, no matter what lies beyond the moat.

The castle proper opens both north and south, and to the east a helical staircase ascends to the roof.

Might as well try the One True Direction first.

>n
Again the sound of chimes, and the phantom guard that blocks your path. Somewhere there must be a ringer summoning him, protecting the State Rooms.

You have never known the Beast to put up guards before. It has always been enough for him to guard the rooms himself.

Unfortunately, it's guarded. So let's go the way of the Kai Lords instead.

>e

Ground Floor Helical Staircase
The steps rise from here towards the upper rooms, and open out onto the bare courtyard.

An obscene gargoyle sits where the finial of the banister should be.

Upstairs. That must be the solution. You'll find him up there, and everything will go back to normal; as it always does after a fight or disagreement or odd patch. Sooner or later things just right themselves and resume as they have always gone.

Finally, something interesting! Let's take a look at it.

>examine gargoyle
He came up while you were bent over the gargoyle, trying to lift it. "Taking that back to your room?" he asked slyly. "It won't work, but if you're lacking companionship I could find an appropriate servant to see to your needs."

You felt yourself blush. "It's ugly," you said. "I wanted to move it."

"Oh. You can't." He frowned at it. "It is a remnant, left here by an angry soul who managed to take some revenge despite his enslavement. There are a few others around, mostly in the crypt. They're immovable, but harmless."

You reacquaint yourself with its appearance: Not too large, but stunningly ugly: a stone about the size of an apple, carved into a monster with outsized ears and eyes -- not to mention outsized attributes elsewhere.

Any thoughts?

>think about gargoyle
He came up while you were bent over the gargoyle, trying to lift it. "Taking that back to your room?" he asked slyly. "It won't work, but if you're lacking companionship I could find an appropriate servant to see to your needs."

You felt yourself blush. "It's ugly," you said. "I wanted to move it."

"Oh. You can't." He frowned at it. "It is a remnant, left here by an angry soul who managed to take some revenge despite his enslavement. There are a few others around, mostly in the crypt. They're immovable, but harmless."

But it is only a token of things past, for which you can come up with no present use.

Guess that's the game's way of saying there isn't anything to do with it. Anyway, the last unexplored exits are in the Scarlet Gallery, so…

>go to scarlet gallery
You head west to the central courtyard. Then south to the entrance hall. And finally east to the scarlet gallery.

Scarlet Gallery
You do not often come this way, into the older part of the castle, which is narrow and has a low roof. The walls, and the ceiling too, are deep scarlet, the color of the old king and queen that ruled here two hundred fifty years ago, when there was still a kingdom.

>ne

Treasure Room
Locked in an iron cage are the house treasures not in use: the collection consists of a sceptre, a puzzle piece, and a pair of cloven shoes, at present -- he showed them to you one rainy day, telling you their many histories.

Nearby a small door leads east.

Kind of odd treasures, but let's take a look at them anyway.

>examine sceptre
Formerly belonging to Queen Ingratitudina the First (so he said), only slightly bent where she used it to strike King Cophetua.

You reacquaint yourself with its appearance: Studded with measly turquoises and semi-precious stones.

>examine puzzle piece
Something shiny has been painted on the piece.

>examine shoes
Made for something with cloven hoofs. They bear evidence of having been adjusted to their current size by a shoemaker, and perhaps (therefore) could be again.

That's probably going to be significant, but let's take a closer look at the puzzle piece.

>examine shiny
You can't see any such thing.

Or not. Maybe there's something through the door?

>e
(first opening the small door)
(first unlocking the small door)
You lack a key that fits the small door.

If there is, we'll have to wait until we find a key to find out what it could be. Onward!

>sw.e.

Scarlet Gallery
You do not often come this way, into the older part of the castle, which is narrow and has a low roof. The walls, and the ceiling too, are deep scarlet, the color of the old king and queen that ruled here two hundred fifty years ago, when there was still a kingdom.

Gallery of Historical Paintings
Here on the north wall and the south are paintings of historical events from times past: the assassination of King Elzibad in 1248; the arrival of Princess Lucrezia from the Italian State of Medici-Credenza in 1545.

The gallery goes on, echoing, both east and west.

Since there are paintings, let's take a look at them.

>examine elzibad
You see his pointy-slippered attendants wringing their hands, his wife wiping her eyes on an ermine muff, peasants grieving.

Of Elzibad himself, there is only a pair of blackened feet, sticking out from under the elephant.

>examine lucrezia
Lucrezia wears silk the pale blue of the morning sky, and her eyes are little currants of malice.

Also of note is the reference to an "Italian State," suggesting that this game is set on an altered version of Earth. I just find settings like that interesting for some reason. Anyway, there's one more unexplored exit, so let's check it out!

>w.se.

Scarlet Gallery
You do not often come this way, into the older part of the castle, which is narrow and has a low roof. The walls, and the ceiling too, are deep scarlet, the color of the old king and queen that ruled here two hundred fifty years ago, when there was still a kingdom.

Scarlet Tower
A little hexagonal room, from whose narrow window you can see the moat, the lawn, and the beginning of the forest outside.

On the windowsill, a helmet waits, for the use of the sentry.

That looks both interesting and portable, so…

>take helmet
You acquire the helmet, and assess it curiously.

A very old helmet that you have seen the Beast wear (and quite foolish it looked, perched on a head it no longer fits: it would suit your head better). He told you once that the helmet was for night watchmen, scouts, and guards, to increase their vigilance and strengthen their hearing.

Lines of writing arc over each ear, but you do not know the language in question.

I was expecting to have to take it and then examine it separately, but it looks like taking something automatically examines it. Very convenient! Anyway, that's all the exploration for this update. Where to next time?

Current puzzles:
Finding a light source.
Getting by the phantom guards.

Maps
1F:
|
h c-i j-
| | | /
g-f-b-d-k-
/| \
e a l
a=Drawbridge
b=Entrance Hall
c=Central Courtyard
d=Scarlet Gallery
e=Guard Tower
f=Great Dining Hall
g=Enormous Kitchen
h=Servant Quarters (down to Darkness)
i=Ground Floor Helical Staircase [gargoyle] (up to…?)
j=Treasure Room [sceptre, puzzle piece, cloven shoes]
k=Gallery of Historical Paintings
l=Scarlet Tower (you are here)

B1:
a
a=Darkness (up to Servant Quarters)

Unexplored paths:
North from Central Courtyard (blocked by a phantom guard).
Up from Ground Floor Helical Staircase.
East from Treasure Room (locked).
East from Gallery of Historical Paintings.
North from Great Dining Hall (blocked by a phantom guard).

Inventory:
A helmet (increases vigilance and strengthens hearing)

 

[Torzelbaum]

the assassination of King Elzibad

Of Elzibad himself, there is only a pair of blackened feet, sticking out from under the elephant.

Well... I guess that's an effective if unusual method.

 

[Kalista]

oh, interesting.
When I played, the output for GO TO didn't work quite right. I'd end up in the place just fine, but what's here a dynamic line about the different steps the player takes just said "You head". Doing something fancy in Inform7 that my interpreter couldn't make sense of?

Makes me wonder about some of the other oddities I ran across. Like at one point I got a hint off THINK ABOUT that told me to go to the drawbridge, I hadn't completely explored it. But aside from one extra color line that came up at that stage of the game, there really wasn't anything going on there. Maybe the sophisticated contextual hints broke in my interpreter, and it went "default, return room 0" heh.

 

[Kirin]

We could add finding a key for the locked treasure room door to our puzzle list. For that matter, perhaps we could find something to let us get at the locked-up treasures themselves as well.

As for what next, the plot clearly wants us to go up the main staircase, so first we should check the one other unblocked route, which is east in the gallery, just to see where that goes. (There isn’t an UP in the scarlet tower, is there? Wasn’t mentioned but it seems like the descriptions don’t always call out all exits…)

Also… the helmet we snagged mentions strengthening hearing, and we heard some sounds in the basement. Would still probably be dangerous to explore in the dark, but if there’s no penalties for spending time puttering around it might be interesting to find out if we could hear anything interesting from the ladder base. Of course, I guess we also don’t know whether there might be Consequences to donning the helm, maybe we should try it in daylight first.

 

[Kahran042]

We could add finding a key for the locked treasure room door to our puzzle list. For that matter, perhaps we could find something to let us get at the locked-up treasures themselves as well.

Good idea!

As for what next, the plot clearly wants us to go up the main staircase, so first we should check the one other unblocked route, which is east in the gallery, just to see where that goes. (There isn’t an UP in the scarlet tower, is there? Wasn’t mentioned but it seems like the descriptions don’t always call out all exits…)

There is no up in the Scarlet Tower, for some reason. But going east from the gallery sounds like a good idea.

>nw.e.e.

Scarlet Gallery
You do not often come this way, into the older part of the castle, which is narrow and has a low roof. The walls, and the ceiling too, are deep scarlet, the color of the old king and queen that ruled here two hundred fifty years ago, when there was still a kingdom.

Gallery of Historical Paintings
Here on the north wall and the south are paintings of historical events from times past: the assassination of King Elzibad in 1248; the arrival of Princess Lucrezia from the Italian State of Medici-Credenza in 1545.

The gallery goes on, echoing, both east and west.

Room with the Labyrinth Floor
A mosaic floor of black and white, like that of cathedrals, as protection against the spite of the undead: which protection might often have been needed, by those that dwelt here in former times. The way down is at the center of the maze.

He's not down here, then, in the east wing.

A new thought occurs to you: perhaps he's waiting for you upstairs, diverting himself with one of the toys or game he brought you. No point in worrying until you have checked the apartments, surely.

Looks like we've got a new path open.

Also… the helmet we snagged mentions strengthening hearing, and we heard some sounds in the basement. Would still probably be dangerous to explore in the dark, but if there’s no penalties for spending time puttering around it might be interesting to find out if we could hear anything interesting from the ladder base. Of course, I guess we also don’t know whether there might be Consequences to donning the helm, maybe we should try it in daylight first.

Good idea!

>wear helmet
You settle the helmet over your head, and there is a roaring in your ears at first. But then the sharpened hearing begins to feel natural again.

Seems safe enough. Next time, should we check out one of the paths down, or see what's at the top of the helical staircase?

Current puzzles:
Finding a light source.
Getting by the phantom guards.
Unlocking the door east of the Treasure Room.
Unlocking the case in the Treasure Room.

Maps
1F:
|
h c-i j-
| | | /
g-f-b-d-k-m
/| \
e a l
a=Drawbridge
b=Entrance Hall
c=Central Courtyard
d=Scarlet Gallery
e=Guard Tower
f=Great Dining Hall
g=Enormous Kitchen
h=Servant Quarters (down to Darkness)
i=Ground Floor Helical Staircase [gargoyle] (up to…?)
j=Treasure Room [sceptre, puzzle piece, cloven shoes]
k=Gallery of Historical Paintings
l=Scarlet Tower
m=Room with the Labyrinth Floor (you are here) (down to…?)

B1:
a
a=Darkness (up to Servant Quarters)

Unexplored paths:
North from Central Courtyard (blocked by a phantom guard).
Up from Ground Floor Helical Staircase.
East from Treasure Room (locked).
Down from Room with the Labyrinth Floor.
North from Great Dining Hall (blocked by a phantom guard).

Inventory:
A helmet (being worn, increases vigilance and strengthens hearing)

Edit: Forgot an exit…

 

[Mogri]

Sounds like we'll need to go up, and I only see one location that affords that.

 

[Kirin]

I mean we might as well check that down from the Labyrinth is also in need of a light source since we’re here. But yeah up is the obvious next step (unless we want to listen to sounds in the other dark basement, but eh, we could also just wait til we have light).

 

[Kahran042]

I mean we might as well check that down from the Labyrinth is also in need of a light source since we’re here.

Good idea!

>d

Darkness
Though a dim light filters down from the room with the labyrinth floor, you can see almost nothing of the contents of your current location.

Looks like it is.

But yeah up is the obvious next step (unless we want to listen to sounds in the other dark basement, but eh, we could also just wait til we have light).

Indeed, so…

>go to ground floor helical staircase
You head uncertainly in what feels like the right direction, based on dimly apprehended light, and the movements of air, emerging into the room with the labyrinth floor. Then west to the gallery of historical paintings. , emerging into the gallery of historical paintings. Then west to the scarlet gallery. , emerging into the scarlet gallery. Then west to the entrance hall. , emerging into the entrance hall. Then north to the central courtyard. , emerging into the central courtyard. And then east to the ground floor helical staircase.

Ground Floor Helical Staircase
The steps rise from here towards the upper rooms, and open out onto the bare courtyard.

An obscene gargoyle sits where the finial of the banister should be.

>u

Upstairs Helical Staircase
In this spot, you fell and almost broke your leg -- or some other more valuable part of you -- except that He caught you.

But you are alone now, and therefore cautious.

It's not mentioned here, but the only exit from this room is east. Might as well check it out.

>e

Private Parlor
A sitting room of the family, in old times, and familiar territory to you now as well. Your bedroom is just south; other bedrooms, mostly smaller, in other directions.

Nearby a heavy door leads north.

You can also see a bentwood table (on which is a jigsaw puzzle) here.

There are lots of exits here - specifically, north, east, southeast, south, and southwest. Which ones should we explore, or do you want me to try listening in one or more of the dark rooms we've seen so far?

Current puzzles:
Finding a light source.
Getting by the phantom guards.
Unlocking the door east of the Treasure Room.
Unlocking the case in the Treasure Room.

Maps
1F:
|
h c-i j-
| | | /
g-f-b-d-k-m
/| \
e a l
a=Drawbridge
b=Entrance Hall
c=Central Courtyard
d=Scarlet Gallery
e=Guard Tower
f=Great Dining Hall
g=Enormous Kitchen
h=Servant Quarters (down to Darkness)
i=Ground Floor Helical Staircase [gargoyle] (up to Upstairs Helical Staircase)
j=Treasure Room [sceptre, puzzle piece, cloven shoes]
k=Gallery of Historical Paintings
l=Scarlet Tower
m=Room with the Labyrinth Floor (you are here) (down to Darkness)

2F:
|
a-b-
/|\



a=Upstairs Helical Staircase
b=Private Parlor

B1:
a

b
a=Darkness (up to Servant Quarters)
b=Darkness (up to Room with the Labyrinth Floor)

Unexplored paths:
North from Central Courtyard (blocked by a phantom guard).
North from Private Parlor.
East from Private Parlor.
Southeast from Private Parlor.
South from Private Parlor.
Southwest from Private Parlor.
East from Treasure Room (locked).
North from Great Dining Hall (blocked by a phantom guard).

Inventory:
A helmet (being worn, increases vigilance and strengthens hearing)

 

[Kahran042]

Oh, yeah! One thing I forgot:

>examine puzzle
His latest offering: he brings you all the most innocent toys he can find, to occupy your time and make you less miserable. This one is nearly finished, missing only one piece that neither of you could ever find.

Hmm, haven't we seen a puzzle piece somewhere before?

 

[Mogri]

Grab the puzzle piece from the treasure room (you left it there? What kind of adventure game protagonist are you?) and solve the puzzle.

 

[Kahran042]

Grab the puzzle piece from the treasure room (you left it there? What kind of adventure game protagonist are you?) and solve the puzzle.

The puzzle piece was in a locked cage, so I'm not sure if it'll work, but I'll give it a shot.

>go to treasure room
You head west to the upstairs helical staircase. Then down to the ground floor helical staircase. Then west to the central courtyard. Then south to the entrance hall. Then east to the scarlet gallery. And finally northeast to the treasure room.

Treasure Room
Locked in an iron cage are the house treasures not in use: the collection consists of a sceptre, a puzzle piece, and a pair of cloven shoes, at present -- he showed them to you one rainy day, telling you their many histories.

Nearby a small door leads east.

>get piece
The iron cage isn't open.

Well, maybe…

>open cage
(first unlocking the iron cage)
You lack a key that fits the iron cage.

Looks like we'll have to find another key for that. But I'll keep it in mind…

 

[Kirin]

Weird that neither of you could find that puzzle piece if it’s been sitting there in the treasure box. And how did it get there? Odd.

I’m curious if examining the table would have any memories, or thinking about the puzzle. Beyond that, might as well get to exploring the bedrooms. We know ours is south, I assume north is the beast’s. If we want to do the rxploration game thing of avoiding the plot as long as possible, maybe the other random ones first, then ours, then his?

 

[Kahran042]

I’m curious if examining the table would have any memories, or thinking about the puzzle.

Good ideas, both.

>examine table
The appearance of the bentwood table has not changed significantly since you left.

>think about puzzle
You're missing an object that might be useful to resolving this problem.

Shall I go on? > y
The current problem cannot be fully dealt with until you have addressed another issue; further exploration is called for.

Beyond that, might as well get to exploring the bedrooms. We know ours is south, I assume north is the beast’s. If we want to do the rxploration game thing of avoiding the plot as long as possible, maybe the other random ones first, then ours, then his?

Sounds good to me!

>e

Guest Bedroom
Made up for the reception of a guest who will never arrive again. A tapestry recalls the story.

Still here at the center of the room is the stool you and the Beast used, the time he tried to teach you to dance -- not a great success, but more effective than the experiment with stilts.

Looks like this incarnation of Beauty is a rather petite woman. That stool might come in handy later, but first…

>examine tapestry
It is hard to make out the story from the faded threads, but it appears to show a very small man, almost a dwarf, who holds on a leading string a very large demon, almost a god.

This might be relevant later, but I can't remember. That stool doesn't look like it's nailed down, so…

>take stool
You acquire the stool, and assess it curiously.

An ordinary three-legged stool, like the one your cat at home liked to sleep on.
>w.se.

Private Parlor
A sitting room of the family, in old times, and familiar territory to you now as well. Your bedroom is just south; other bedrooms, mostly smaller, in other directions.

Nearby a heavy door leads north.

You can also see a bentwood table (on which is a jigsaw puzzle) here.

Empty Bedroom
Like a monk's chamber compared to every other part of the palace, just bare walls now. Here your father stayed, when he made his ill-fated journey to the castle. The Beast told you this, on your first visit.

On the wall, as a curio, hangs an open shackle -- sign of the only person ever to have escaped the power of this place.

I probably can't take the shackle, but maybe I can…

>examine shackle
Your father claims to have been chained up, but the Beast never made the least effort to restrain you with chains or bars. On the contrary-- but that remains a puzzle.

You reacquaint yourself with its appearance: A curious object, a broken shackle. Nowhere else in the castle are there any chains or ropes or devices of torture; there has never been a need for such physical coercion...

Now to continue exploring.

>nw.sw.

Private Parlor
A sitting room of the family, in old times, and familiar territory to you now as well. Your bedroom is just south; other bedrooms, mostly smaller, in other directions.

Nearby a heavy door leads north.

You can also see a bentwood table (on which is a jigsaw puzzle) here.

Green Bedroom
Having more personality than most of the bedrooms, it was decorated for someone specific and has been left that way: green and white, with a simple rustic cast unusual for the palace.

The chief exception is the royal portrait on the wall.

That portrait probably merits examination.

>examine portrait
"That was me," he told you. "Before I was changed. Do you think I was handsome?"

You shrugged. Handsome, yes, but proud, selfish, resentful, perhaps cruel. "The painter did not do justice to your personality," you replied.

"You're wrong," he said. "And I put the painting here to punish the woman who slept here. She treated me with justice, and I could not forgive her."

He refused to tell you the rest. "You like me more than you should, and trust me less," he said. "If I told you the rest of this particular story, you would neither trust nor like. There, that's a warning for you."

You reacquaint yourself with its appearance: A portrait of a young, arrogant king: not a prince, but one who inherited early and used his power from the beginning. He stares out with bitterness, perhaps even resentment.

Now I'm kind of curious about this backstory… but there are still rooms to explore. Next up, our room!

>ne.s.

Private Parlor
A sitting room of the family, in old times, and familiar territory to you now as well. Your bedroom is just south; other bedrooms, mostly smaller, in other directions.

Nearby a heavy door leads north.

You can also see a bentwood table (on which is a jigsaw puzzle) here.

Crystal Bedroom
A fantasia of gleaming and glittering, chandeliers and mirrors: all that shines or reflects has been moved here, into this room that you inhabit, which he never enters.

The south end of the room is most dazzling, because of the daylight from the balcony.

Nothing to take here, but there is an exit to the south. First, though, let's check out the mirrors.

>examine mirrors
You learned, long ago, that the mirrors would keep him away; and then, when you had less need to keep him at bay, you kept them anyway, so as not to disturb him by returning them to the rest of the palace.

Aww, that's nice. But let's see what's on the balcony.

>s
You step out into the rain; the fat droplets sound like hail on the surface of your helmet.

Gilded Balcony
A ridiculous filigreed balcony that is like nothing so much as a birdcage: and from here you can see all the way across the moat, across the forest, the plain, to the edge of the sea, only by staring long enough in any direction.

When you first came here, the balcony was full of plants in pots: poison oak, nettles, nightshade, datura. "They grow best here," he explained. "Don't touch them." And he took them away, and you have never seen them again since.

He's not upstairs, then: there's nowhere in these rooms he could have been hiding, no space large enough to conceal him.

He must have gone into one of the more... difficult portions of the castle. The state rooms, or the crypt. One of the places he knows you hate to visit alone.

This does not bode well for his state of mind. (Will he be angry? It has been a long time since he was truly angry at you... But you cannot deal with that until you find him.)

And we have a hint as to where the beast might be! First, though, there's one more exit from the parlor to check out.

>n.n.n.

Crystal Bedroom
A fantasia of gleaming and glittering, chandeliers and mirrors: all that shines or reflects has been moved here, into this room that you inhabit, which he never enters.

The south end of the room is most dazzling, because of the daylight from the balcony.

Private Parlor
A sitting room of the family, in old times, and familiar territory to you now as well. Your bedroom is just south; other bedrooms, mostly smaller, in other directions.

Nearby a heavy door leads north.

You can also see a bentwood table (on which is a jigsaw puzzle) here.

(first opening the heavy door)
You get far enough to glimpse a little gold dinner bell before being overcome: you reel back from a smell of roses and death, so powerful that you can't go forward. Until there's a breeze through here, you won't be able to stand being in the place.

Private Parlor
A sitting room of the family, in old times, and familiar territory to you now as well. Your bedroom is just south; other bedrooms, mostly smaller, in other directions.

Nearby an open heavy door leads north.

You can also see a bentwood table (on which is a jigsaw puzzle) here.

Looks like we won't be able to explore that exit until we air it out. Where to from here?

Current puzzles:
Finding a light source.
Getting by the phantom guards.
Unlocking the door east of the Treasure Room.
Unlocking the case in the Treasure Room.
Airing out the room north of the Private Parlor.

Maps
1F:
|
h c-i j-
| | | /
g-f-b-d-k-m
/| \
e a l
a=Drawbridge
b=Entrance Hall
c=Central Courtyard
d=Scarlet Gallery
e=Guard Tower
f=Great Dining Hall
g=Enormous Kitchen
h=Servant Quarters (down to Darkness)
i=Ground Floor Helical Staircase [gargoyle] (up to Upstairs Helical Staircase)
j=Treasure Room [sceptre, puzzle piece, cloven shoes]
k=Gallery of Historical Paintings
l=Scarlet Tower
m=Room with the Labyrinth Floor (down to Darkness)

2F:
|
a-b-c
/|\
e f d
|
g
a=Upstairs Helical Staircase
b=Private Parlor (you are here)
c=Guest Bedroom (tapestry depicting small man leading large demon on string)
d=Empty Bedroom (shackle)
e=Green Bedroom (royal portrait)
f=Crystal Bedroom
g=Gilded Balcony

B1:
a

b
a=Darkness (up to Servant Quarters)
b=Darkness (up to Room with the Labyrinth Floor)

Unexplored paths:
North from Central Courtyard (blocked by a phantom guard).
North from Private Parlor (blocked by a smell of roses and death, contains a little gold dinner bell).
East from Treasure Room (locked).
North from Great Dining Hall (blocked by a phantom guard).

Inventory:
A helmet (being worn, increases vigilance and strengthens hearing)
A stool

 

[Mogri]

Think about cat!

 

[Kalista]

Weird that neither of you could find that puzzle piece if it’s been sitting there in the treasure box.

That struck me too. Maybe that means the Beast found it during the heroine's absence? And put it in the treasure cage instead of right into the puzzle, for inscrutable Beasty reasons?

 

[Kirin]

So based on a half-memory (of mine) of a memory (of our character), I’m guessing the gold bell we glimpsed will help us with the ghostly guards. So I’d be inclined to putz around the upstairs rooms and hallway to see if we can open enough windows and doors to get a breeze to the north room. Maybe we need the stool to reach a window? Or, we already have a way to outside air on the balcony, maybe we can just use the stool to prop open a door that wouldn’t otherwise stay open.

 

[Kahran042]

Think about cat!

I can't see any reason not to…

>think about cat
Sorry, there is nothing to say about that.

Aww, that's too bad. I had a feeling that there wouldn't be anything about the cat, but I was kind of hoping there was.

As for Kirin's suggestion, there aren't any windows in any of the bedrooms, and the door to the north is already open, just currently impassible. This means that our only option is to explore the underground with our helmet-enhanced senses. Should we start from the servant quarters or the room with the labyrinth floor?

 

[Kirin]

As for Kirin's suggestion, there aren't any windows in any of the bedrooms, and the door to the north is already open, just currently impassible. This means that our only option is to explore the underground with our helmet-enhanced senses. Should we start from the servant quarters or the room with the labyrinth floor?

Oh, what I was actually wondering is whether we could get breeze from the balcony (which you forgot to add to the map btw) through the Crystal bedroom and the private parlor to the north door. But if those doors are already open and that’s not doing it then I guess we need either windier weather or a fan or something.

So, uh, maybe there’s storage below the servants quarters and someone left a fan there, sure why not.

 

[Kahran042]

(which you forgot to add to the map btw)

You are right. Just fixed it!

 

[Kahran042]

It looks like I'm updating this on Wednesdays, so let's go check out the darkness below the servants' quarters.

>go to servant quarters
You head west to the upstairs helical staircase. Then down to the ground floor helical staircase. Then west to the central courtyard. Then south to the entrance hall. Then west to the great dining hall. Then west to the enormous kitchen. And finally north to the servant quarters.

Servant Quarters
Not a room friendly to visitors, it has the air of resentful, martyred suffering. Even His most unpleasant ancestors would not have grudged this place more paint, surely, and more straw for the beds.

A decaying ladder leads down.

>d

Darkness
Though a dim light filters down from the servant quarters, you can see almost nothing of the contents of your current location. You find yourself concentrating all the more alertly on your hearing, as though the slightest echo might offer a clue.

Windchimes ring, almost inaudible, from the east, competing with some dry sifting from the northeast. You can also make out your own steady breathing.

Looks like we can go east or northeast. Which will it be?

Current puzzles:
Getting by the phantom guards.
Unlocking the door east of the Treasure Room.
Unlocking the case in the Treasure Room.
Airing out the room north of the Private Parlor.

Maps
1F:
|
h c-i j-
| | | /
g-f-b-d-k-m
/| \
e a l
a=Drawbridge
b=Entrance Hall
c=Central Courtyard
d=Scarlet Gallery
e=Guard Tower
f=Great Dining Hall
g=Enormous Kitchen
h=Servant Quarters (down to Darkness)
i=Ground Floor Helical Staircase [gargoyle] (up to Upstairs Helical Staircase)
j=Treasure Room [sceptre, puzzle piece, cloven shoes]
k=Gallery of Historical Paintings
l=Scarlet Tower
m=Room with the Labyrinth Floor (down to Darkness)

2F:
|
a-b-c
/|\
e f d
|
g
a=Upstairs Helical Staircase
b=Private Parlor
c=Guest Bedroom (tapestry depicting small man leading large demon on string)
d=Empty Bedroom (shackle)
e=Green Bedroom (royal portrait)
f=Crystal Bedroom
g=Gilded Balcony

B1:
/
a-

b
a=Darkness (up to Servant Quarters; you are here)
b=Darkness (up to Room with the Labyrinth Floor)

Unexplored paths:
North from Central Courtyard (blocked by a phantom guard).
North from Private Parlor (blocked by a smell of roses and death, contains a little gold dinner bell).
East from Treasure Room (locked).
North from Great Dining Hall (blocked by a phantom guard).
East from Darkness.
Northeast from Darkness.

Inventory:
A helmet (being worn, increases vigilance and strengthens hearing)
A stool