Start of a transcript of Cragne Manor An Anchorhead tribute by various authors Release 10 / Serial number 181208 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib 6/12N) Identification number: //1A586AF4-661C-4879-ADFF-7DDE35836AF1// Interpreter version 1.3.5 / VM 3.1.2 / Library serial number 080126 Standard Rules version 3/120430 by Graham Nelson Cragne Suite version 2 by Ryan Veeder (including Basic Screen Effects and Modified Exit by Emily Short, as well as modifications by Andrew Plotkin of Epistemology and Conversation Framework by Eric Eve) Plus modified versions of: Optimized Epistemology by Andrew Plotkin Conversation Framework by Eric Eve Welcome to Cragne Manor! Before we begin, we want to make sure you really understand what you're getting yourself into... [press any key to continue]CONTENT WARNING Please be warned that this game contains: cosmic horror, body horror, psychological horror, gore, violence, murder, death, self-harm, suicide, mutilation, decapitation, racism, spiders, snakes, rats, aggressive birds, deceased animals, insects, incest, nonexplicit references to uncomfortable sexual situations involving minors, abusive relationships, domestic violence, pregnancy loss, ghosts, mental illness, homelessness, alcoholism, oppressive religious organizations, bullying, kidnapping, hostile vegetation, fungal overgrowth, creepy dolls, creepy children, references to human/anthropomorphic animal sex, eyeball contact, scatological references, strong language, virgin sacrifice, demon summoning, demon possession, blood, skeletons, viscera, infectious disease... ...and possibly several other types of disturbing content we forgot to include. Would you still like to continue? (Please type yes or no.) * that is quite the list * Especially the hostile vegetation, I have a deep-seated fear of plants * (That isn't a joke, plants give me the willies) * Well, nothing for it Please answer yes or no.> yes CONCEPT WARNING To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Michael Gentry's Anchorhead, we got more than eighty people together and assigned each of them to create one room of a massive Anchorheadesque world. The authors were given basic information about what their rooms were and how they fit into the game's puzzle progression; beyond that, we told them to do whatever they wanted. We didn't tell anybody what was going on in anybody else's rooms. This resulted in a game that is ridiculous. The world the authors created is inconsistent and often nonsensical. Commands that are necessary to progress in one room might not work anywhere else. Many of the puzzles are, by ordinary human standards, deeply unfair. By ordinary human standards, this is not a good game. If you approach Cragne Manor as an conventional work of interactive fiction, you'll find it confusing and frustrating. Temper your expectations, be prepared for the weirdness you're diving into. You'll still end up confused and frustrated at some point. Then you'll discover that this is completely worth it. Would you still like to continue? (Please type yes or no.) * Yup, that's the concept! Please answer yes or no.> yes Thank you, and enjoy your stay in Cragne Manor! For more information about the game, please type ABOUT or CREDITS at any time. [press any key to begin] The cold autumn wind makes you shiver. The train station is eerily deserted: no staff, no other passengers. Even the train you arrived on has disappeared into the distance as if it had never been here. Your memory of the trip already seems faded and unreal, like a dream. The sign hanging overhead catches your eye: "Backwater Station." Yes: Backwater, Vermont. This is where you need to be. You need to find Peter. Cragne Manor An Anchorhead tribute by various authors Release 10 / Serial number 181208 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib 6/12N) Railway Platform (Naomi Hinchen) The platform is open to the outdoors, but has an overhanging roof with a rusted sign hanging from it. At the back of the platform, to the south, is the entrance to the lobby. Train tracks stretch off into the distance to the east and west; on the other side of the track is a graffitied brick wall. The only other living creature in sight is a rat fixing you with its beady black eyes. The clock overhead gives the time as 6:20 pm; beneath the clock is a schedule board listing train arrival times. On the platform itself are a wooden bench, a storage locker, and a vending machine. > gird loins That verb doesn’t work here, or, at least, not right now, but it might work somewhere later. >* Oh, we're in Vermont? How Lovecraft-adjacent >* Though I think Whisperer in Darkness is set in Vermont? Guess we'll have to watch out for Mi-Go >* Naomi Hinchen, per IFDB, wrote Tea Ceremony, which I remember was briefly mentioned on IntFic recently though I haven't played it - there was an alien language puzzle related to cooking? >* I hope I don't need to cook the rat >* Anyway, let's see what we're about >about Cragne Manor commemorates the 20th anniversary of Michael Gentry's Anchorhead. More than eighty authors wrote one room each. We didn't tell them what was going on in each other's rooms. The project organizers were Jenni Polodna and Ryan Veeder. (Contact them jointly at cragne@jennipolodna.com.) The authors were Adam Whybray, Adri, Andrew Plotkin, Andy Holloway, Austin Auclair, Baldur Brückner, Ben Collins-Sussman, Bill Maya, Brian Rushton, Buster Hudson, Caleb Wilson, Carl Muckenhoupt, Chandler Groover, Chris Jones, Christopher Conley, Damon L. Wakes, Daniel Ravipinto, Daniel Stelzer, David Jose, David Petrocco, David Sturgis, Drew Mochak, Edward B, Emily Short, Erica Newman, Feneric, Finn Rosenloev, Gary Butterfield, Gavin Inglis, Greg Frost, Hanon Ondricek, Harkness Munt, Harrison Gerard, Ian Holmes, Ivan Roth, Jack Welch, Jacqueline Ashwell, James Eagle, Jason Dyer, Jason Lautzenheiser, Jason Love, Jenni Polodna, Jeremy Freese, Joey Jones, Joshua Porch, Justin de Vesine, Justin Melvin, Katherine Morayati, Kenneth Pedersen, Lane Puetz, Llew Mason, Lucian Smith, Marco Innocenti, Marius Müller, Mark Britton, Mark Sample, Marshal Tenner Winter, Matt Schneider, Matt Weiner, Matthew Korson, Michael Fessler, Michael Gentry, Michael Hilborn, Michael Lin, Mike Spivey, Molly Ying, Monique Padelis, Naomi Hinchen, Nate Edwards, Petter Sjölund, Q Pheevr, Rachel Spitler, Reed Lockwood, Reina Adair, Riff Conner, Roberto Colnaghi, Rowan Lipkovits, Ryan Veeder, Sam Kabo Ashwell, Scott Hammack, Sean M. Shore, Wade Clarke, Zach Hodgens, and Zack Johnson. Special beta testing thanks to Andrew Schultz. Special being a baby thanks to production baby Fionn Collins. Extra special having written Anchorhead thanks to Michael Gentry. >* Yay, production baby! >credits Cragne Manor commemorates the 20th anniversary of Michael Gentry's Anchorhead. More than eighty authors wrote one room each. We didn't tell them what was going on in each other's rooms. The project organizers were Jenni Polodna and Ryan Veeder. (Contact them jointly at cragne@jennipolodna.com.) The authors were Adam Whybray, Adri, Andrew Plotkin, Andy Holloway, Austin Auclair, Baldur Brückner, Ben Collins-Sussman, Bill Maya, Brian Rushton, Buster Hudson, Caleb Wilson, Carl Muckenhoupt, Chandler Groover, Chris Jones, Christopher Conley, Damon L. Wakes, Daniel Ravipinto, Daniel Stelzer, David Jose, David Petrocco, David Sturgis, Drew Mochak, Edward B, Emily Short, Erica Newman, Feneric, Finn Rosenloev, Gary Butterfield, Gavin Inglis, Greg Frost, Hanon Ondricek, Harkness Munt, Harrison Gerard, Ian Holmes, Ivan Roth, Jack Welch, Jacqueline Ashwell, James Eagle, Jason Dyer, Jason Lautzenheiser, Jason Love, Jenni Polodna, Jeremy Freese, Joey Jones, Joshua Porch, Justin de Vesine, Justin Melvin, Katherine Morayati, Kenneth Pedersen, Lane Puetz, Llew Mason, Lucian Smith, Marco Innocenti, Marius Müller, Mark Britton, Mark Sample, Marshal Tenner Winter, Matt Schneider, Matt Weiner, Matthew Korson, Michael Fessler, Michael Gentry, Michael Hilborn, Michael Lin, Mike Spivey, Molly Ying, Monique Padelis, Naomi Hinchen, Nate Edwards, Petter Sjölund, Q Pheevr, Rachel Spitler, Reed Lockwood, Reina Adair, Riff Conner, Roberto Colnaghi, Rowan Lipkovits, Ryan Veeder, Sam Kabo Ashwell, Scott Hammack, Sean M. Shore, Wade Clarke, Zach Hodgens, and Zack Johnson. Special beta testing thanks to Andrew Schultz. Special being a baby thanks to production baby Fionn Collins. Extra special having written Anchorhead thanks to Michael Gentry. >* Oh those were the same >* OK, enough stalling >* By which I mean, time to start examining scenery >l Railway Platform (Naomi Hinchen) The platform is open to the outdoors, but has an overhanging roof with a rusted sign hanging from it. At the back of the platform, to the south, is the entrance to the lobby. Train tracks stretch off into the distance to the east and west; on the other side of the track is a graffitied brick wall. The only other living creature in sight is a rat fixing you with its beady black eyes. The clock overhead gives the time as 6:20 pm; beneath the clock is a schedule board listing train arrival times. On the platform itself are a wooden bench, a storage locker, and a vending machine. The rat daringly runs right across your shoe. >x roof An overhang to shield the platform from the elements. You step in an old wad of gum. Yuck. >x sign Through the rust, you can make out the words "Backwater Station." The rat hides under the bench. >x gum Someone's old chewing gum, black with dirt but still sticky. Some of it is probably stuck to your shoe now. >take it Eww, why would you want to? The rat sniffs at litter on the tracks. >* I dunno, I've played enough adventure games to know 1) sticky stuff is occasionally useful, and 2) germs can't hurt you unless they're specifically scripted to do so >tracks That verb doesn't work here, or, at least, not right now, but it might work somewhere later. >x tracks The tracks extend east and west to the horizon, but there is no sign of the train that brought you here. >x wall A crumbling brick wall with some strange graffiti painted on it. >x graffiti Someone has scrawled the word "Vaadignephod" on the wall in lime-green paint. >say vaadignephod (to the rat) Startled by your attention, the rat scurries away, leaving behind a brass winding key. Over the loudspeaker, you can hear a sound like heavy breathing. >* Oh, sorry rat! >* I was more saying that to the eldritch powers that lurk beyond space and time to see if they'd answer my call, but you were a reasonable fall-back audience >say vaadignephod to the eldritch powers that lurk beyond space and time You can't see any such thing. >* Well duh, they lurk beyond space and time >x key A small brass key used for winding a clock. The clock gives a deep, booming chime on the half hour. >take it Taken. >x clock The clock face seems almost to be staring at you, as the second hand sweeps hypnotically around it. The time shown is 6:32 pm. You can't see the clock very closely from down here. >climb clock Little is to be achieved by that. Thunder rumbles in the distance. >wind clock You'll need to find a way to use the winding key on the clock. >open clock It isn't something you can open. For no apparent reason, the PA system plays a three-second snatch of bagpipe music. >* seems we need to get up there -- not sure how high it is >x board The board lists a schedule of train times: Providence CANCELLED Dunwich CANCELLED Innsmouth CANCELLED Anchorhead 13:37 Arkham CANCELLED The wind blows stray leaves across the tracks. >* Ah, there we are >x bench A weathered wooden bench. On the bench is a familiar gold wristwatch. A monotonous voice over the loudspeaker recites a seemingly random series of numbers. >x wristwatch You gave this to Peter as an anniversary present. It seems to have stopped. There is an inscription on the back. A leak in the ceiling drips water into a puddle. >* hmm, I'm guessing Peter is our soon-to-be-evil husband? >x inscription On the back of the watch is engraved N + P March 19th The wind blows stray leaves across the tracks. >x me You feel uncertain and disoriented, as if you are not quite real. Are you real? Maybe you're a fictional character in a text adventure. For no apparent reason, the PA system plays a three-second snatch of bagpipe music. >* Maybe I am! >* (Now that I think about it, the player character in my last game was Mike Russo, so actually I am!) >wear watch (first taking the familiar gold wristwatch) You put on the familiar gold wristwatch. >l Railway Platform (Naomi Hinchen) The platform is open to the outdoors, but has an overhanging roof with a rusted sign hanging from it. At the back of the platform, to the south, is the entrance to the lobby. Train tracks stretch off into the distance to the east and west; on the other side of the track is a graffitied brick wall. The clock overhead gives the time as 6:43 pm; beneath the clock is a schedule board listing train arrival times. On the platform itself are a wooden bench, a storage locker, and a vending machine. >x locker A storage locker painted a drab industrial gray. Attached to the front are a card swiper and a peeling label reading "Lost and Found." >x swiper A device that reads a swiped ID card. The clock gives a deep, booming chime on the quarter hour. >x label A sticker with "Lost and Found" scrawled on it in black marker ink. >take label You peel the label off the locker. >wear label You stick the label to your shirt. Now it looks like your name is "Lost and Found." >* Nice job Naomi! >* I'm hoping now people will give me stuff >* Though I suppose they might equally take my stuff >* It would be impressive if this act of relabelling had occult significance and changed the initial on my wristwatch >x inscription On the back of the watch is engraved N + P March 19th >* Ah well >x machine Similar to a gumball machine, but it's the kind that dispenses toys in little plastic bubbles. At the bottom is a chute where the contents come out. There is a coin slot, but instead of a price next to it, there is a strange squiggled glyph. In the vending machine is a plastic bubble. >x glyph It seems to shift as you look at it, but looks almost like an R fused with a V. Or maybe a J fused with a P? No, it's definitely an R fused with a V. >read glyph aloud You can't see any such thing. >* Figured I'd lean into the whole "Lovecraftian protagonist" thing >x bubble A small transparent plastic capsule with a lid. In the plastic bubble is a golden eyepiece. >take bubble The vending machine isn't open. >x eyepiece A misshapen golden disc, studded with lenses. It looks like it could fit flush with your eye socket. On its surfaces are a round button, a triangular button, and a small rectangular slot. The golden eyepiece is currently switched off. You step in an old wad of gum. Yuck. >* how steampunk >turn on eyepiece The plastic bubble isn't open. The wind blows stray leaves across the tracks. >open bubble The vending machine isn't open. You step in an old wad of gum. Yuck. >open machine It isn't something you can open. >* OK, so we need some sort of arcane currency, I'm guessing >* Like a two dollar bill or a 1997 Euro >stand on bench You get onto the bench. >x clock The clock face seems almost to be staring at you, as the second hand sweeps hypnotically around it. The time shown is 7:00 pm. Standing on the bench, you can see a small keyhole on one side of the clock. The wind blows stray leaves across the tracks. The clock tolls 7 times, each stroke rattling your teeth and resounding hollowly around the empty station. >* ha! >wind clock You'll need to find a way to use the winding key on the clock. >wind clock with key You need to put the winding key in the clock first. Thunder rumbles in the distance. >put key in keyhole The winding key fits neatly into the hole, ready to be turned. You shiver for no reason at all, as if someone has just walked over your grave. >turn key Turning the key will change the time on the clock. You should pick a time to set it to. You step in an old wad of gum. Yuck. >x board The board lists a schedule of train times: Providence CANCELLED Dunwich CANCELLED Innsmouth CANCELLED Anchorhead 13:37 Arkham CANCELLED >set clock to 13:37 The clock is now set to 1:37 pm. You blink at the sudden light--has the sun just come up? Hard to tell with the cloud cover, but it seems suddenly much lighter. An old-fashioned steam locomotive comes hurtling down the tracks from the west. It appears translucent, almost insubstantial, but the rush of wind and noise created by its passage fills the station: the clatter of the wheels, the chugging of the engine, the clanging of the bell, and the mournful blowing of the whistle. It whooshes through the station without stopping, and then is gone as swiftly as it appeared. In the sudden silence, you look down the tracks to the east, but can see no sign of it. >x clock The clock face seems almost to be staring at you, as the second hand sweeps hypnotically around it. The time shown is 1:39 pm. Standing on the bench, you can see a small keyhole on one side of the clock, in which is a brass winding key. >set clock to 13:37 The clock is now set to 1:37 pm. An old-fashioned steam locomotive comes hurtling down the tracks from the west. It appears translucent, almost insubstantial, but the rush of wind and noise created by its passage fills the station: the clatter of the wheels, the chugging of the engine, the clanging of the bell, and the mournful blowing of the whistle. It whooshes through the station without stopping, and then is gone as swiftly as it appeared. In the sudden silence, you look down the tracks to the east, but can see no sign of it. >set clock to 13:36 The clock is now set to 1:36 pm. Yes... there's definitely something coming, though you can't seem to see it clearly... A leak in the ceiling drips water into a puddle. >set clock to 13:30 The clock is now set to 1:30 pm. The clock gives a deep, booming chime on the half hour. >get on tracks (getting off the bench) You get onto the tracks. You step in an old wad of gum. Yuck. >* Er, this game is Merciful, right? >* IFDB fails to indicate one way or the other >save Ok. >* Guess we'll find out! >z Time passes. Thunder rumbles in the distance. >z Time passes. Is it your imagination, or do you see something approaching down the track? >x something You can't see any such thing. >x track The tracks extend east and west to the horizon, but there is no sign of the train that brought you here. Yes... there's definitely something coming, though you can't seem to see it clearly... >listen In the distance, you can hear the lonesome keening of a train whistle drifting on the wind. There is a sudden gust of wind and a headlight shining in your face. You can just make out the translucent shape of an old-fashioned steam locomotive bearing down on you as you stand frozen on the tracks. You close your eyes, expecting it to hit you at any moment, but instead of a solid impact you feel a rushing current like a hurricane wind. There is no time even to scream as it tears the very soul from your body, carrying you along on its spectral journey. *** You have been claimed by the Ghost Train. *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last command or TAKE BACK the action that sealed your fate (for when UNDO is not enough)? > undo Railway Platform (Naomi Hinchen) [Previous turn undone.] >u (getting off the tracks) You get onto the bench. Is it your imagination, or do you see something approaching down the track? You step back just in time, as an old-fashioned steam locomotive comes hurtling down the tracks from the west. It appears translucent, almost insubstantial, but the rush of wind and noise created by its passage fills the station: the clatter of the wheels, the chugging of the engine, the clanging of the bell, and the mournful blowing of the whistle. It whooshes through the station without stopping, and then is gone as swiftly as it appeared. In the sudden silence, you look down the tracks to the east, but can see no sign of it. >* Well, that was certainly uncanny! >* Seems like we've exhausted the possibilities here, unless there's eventually someone or something we want to give to the ghost train for claiming >s (first getting off the bench) Train Station Lobby (Shin) The evening light trickles through the dirty, cobweb-covered windows on either side of the station exit to the south, dimly illuminating your surroundings. To the north is the platform on which you arrived. To the east, a large mirror decorates the wall next to a green door. To the west, there is a brown door. The overall appearance is one of general neglect and decay. You regard your surroundings with a deep sense of foreboding. A styrofoam coffee cup sits on the floor next to the entrance to the bathroom. >* I don't see an IFDB or IFWiki entry for Shin -- a person of mystery! [Later note: per the actual LP, Shin does have an IFDB profile, but no released games listed other than this one] >* That styrofoam coffee cup is definitely giving me Anchorhead vibes >* (It must have gotten *so gross* after I schlepped it through sewers etc.) >x windows The dirty, cobweb-covered windows permit scant illumination within the station lobby. They appear not to have been cleaned in a long time. >clean windows You rub the dirty, cobweb-covered windows. >x windows The dirty, cobweb-covered windows permit scant illumination within the station lobby. They appear not to have been cleaned in a long time. >* But I just cleaned them! >* Maybe I'm a ghost!!!! >* Or just bad at window-cleaning >l Train Station Lobby (Shin) The evening light trickles through the dirty, cobweb-covered windows on either side of the station exit to the south, dimly illuminating your surroundings. To the north is the platform on which you arrived. To the east, a large mirror decorates the wall next to a green door. To the west, there is a brown door. The overall appearance is one of general neglect and decay. You regard your surroundings with a deep sense of foreboding. A styrofoam coffee cup sits on the floor next to the entrance to the bathroom. >x mirror You take a long look in the mirror. Even in these dim and dingy surroundings, you are as good-looking as ever. >* ...groan >x green door The green door appears to be the entrance to the station office. You try the handle and discover that it is locked. >x brown door The brown door leads to the station restroom. Thankfully, you have no need of the facilities at the moment. >* spoken like someone who's never met an adventure game protagonist >* we never need to use the facilities in a biological sense, but we always need to turn on the taps and test-flush the toilets just to irritate authors >take coffee Taken. >drink it A lot of people in your situation would probably drink the half-empty cup of abandoned coffee that they found on the floor of a train station, but you just aren't there yet, mentally, and that's a great sign. >* The game is young, Shin. The game is young >x coffee A half-full styrofoam cup of doubtless very unpleasant coffee that you found on the floor of a train station. It must have had cream in it at some point, because there are definitely some clouds swirling around in there. >i You are carrying: a half-full styrofoam coffee cup a label (being worn) a familiar gold wristwatch (being worn) >* inventory is starting to get fleshed out >* (at this rate, it's going to be a nightmare by the mid-game) >w (first opening the brown door) Train Station Restroom (David Petrocco) As you enter the restroom you hear creak of a faucet being turned off and the rough scraping of metal upon metal from the far end of the restroom. Finally the automatic lights kick on revealing the restroom but there's no sign of who, or what, could have caused the noise. A harshly lit pay restroom. Dust and grime mar the once white tiles and marble of the facilities: A small shower stall with the curtain closed, a bathroom stall with a single dirty toilet (there are mounts for a door, but it is nowhere to be seen), a small storage closet for janitorial supplies, a four by four row of small lockers, and an extremely dirty dual basin sink. The train station is EAST. >* David Petrocco is another person of mystery so far as IFDB is concerned >listen You hear nothing unexpected. >* OK, guess the ghost is gone >l Train Station Restroom (David Petrocco) A harshly lit pay restroom. Dust and grime mar the once white tiles and marble of the facilities: A small shower stall with the curtain closed, a bathroom stall with a single dirty toilet (there are mounts for a door, but it is nowhere to be seen), a small storage closet for janitorial supplies, a four by four row of small lockers, and an extremely dirty dual basin sink. The train station is EAST. >e Train Station Lobby (Shin) The surroundings are as dim and dingy as ever. The platform is to the north. The dirty, cobweb-covered windows and the station exit are to the south. The large mirror and the green door are to the east. The restroom door is to the west. You are unsure what you should do. >w Train Station Restroom (David Petrocco) A harshly lit pay restroom. Dust and grime mar the once white tiles and marble of the facilities: A small shower stall with the curtain closed, a bathroom stall with a single dirty toilet (there are mounts for a door, but it is nowhere to be seen), a small storage closet for janitorial supplies, a four by four row of small lockers, and an extremely dirty dual basin sink. The train station is EAST. >* a train-station shower stall -- now that's SPOOKY! >* also a train-station restroom that charges money -- that's some primal evil right there >x tile You can't see any such thing. >x tiles You can't see any such thing. >x marble You can't see any such thing. >x xust You can't see any such thing. >x dust You can't see any such thing. >x stall Which do you mean, the train station shower or the train station toilet? >shower The shower curtain is a stained yellow sheet of plastic covering the entrance. While examining the shower you hear the loud WOOOSH of a toilet flushing behind you. >jump You jump on the spot. >scream That verb doesn't work here, or, at least, not right now, but it might work somewhere later. >* I'm betting it will >open toilet stall It isn't something you can open. >x toilet stall The toilet is filled with a murky brown, and foul smelling, water. The surface of the water ripples as the toilet finishes flushing. The loud crash of something falling near the closet door shatters the silence of the bathroom along with what's left of your nerve. >* not cool, ghost >x closet door I only understood you as far as wanting to examine the train station restroom utility closet. >* that's as far I as understood myself! >l Train Station Restroom (David Petrocco) A harshly lit pay restroom. Dust and grime mar the once white tiles and marble of the facilities: A small shower stall with the curtain closed, a bathroom stall with a single dirty toilet (there are mounts for a door, but it is nowhere to be seen), a small storage closet for janitorial supplies, a four by four row of small lockers, and an extremely dirty dual basin sink. The train station is EAST. >x closet A small storage closet where several shelves have collaped, their supports seemingly rotten away, and have buried what appears to be a long wooden handled tool, a mop or broom perhaps. A small note taped to the wall says Locker 3 7113. >x shelves You can't see any such thing. >x tool You can't see any such thing. >x mop You're already undergoing one monumental task, you don't need to give yourself another trying to clean this hellish mess. >x broom You're already undergoing one monumental task, you don't need to give yourself another trying to clean this hellish mess. >* look, that seems like a stick, and there's nothing handier than a stick >* it lets you poke things >take stick You can't see any such thing. >take mop You're already undergoing one monumental task, you don't need to give yourself another trying to clean this hellish mess. >take handle You can't see any such thing. >l Train Station Restroom (David Petrocco) A harshly lit pay restroom. Dust and grime mar the once white tiles and marble of the facilities: A small shower stall with the curtain closed, a bathroom stall with a single dirty toilet (there are mounts for a door, but it is nowhere to be seen), a small storage closet for janitorial supplies, a four by four row of small lockers, and an extremely dirty dual basin sink. The train station is EAST. >x note A small storage closet where several shelves have collaped, their supports seemingly rotten away, and have buried what appears to be a long wooden handled tool, a mop or broom perhaps. A small note taped to the wall says Locker 3 7113. >take note That's hardly portable. >x lockers Sixteen lockers in a four by four pattern. The few that still have doors are flung open and battered, save for one still secured by a large combination lock, the kind that you can set to a four-digit number. >unlock locker What do you want to unlock the train station restroom lockers with? >combination You can't see any such thing. >x lock Sixteen lockers in a four by four pattern. The few that still have doors are flung open and battered, save for one still secured by a large combination lock, the kind that you can set to a four-digit number. >set lock to 7113 The lock slides open. You remove it from the hinges of the locker and open it to find a glass jar containing an insect. >* there we are >take jar Which do you mean, the cleaning supplies or the glass jar containing an insect? >insect Taken. >x supplies You're already undergoing one monumental task, you don't need to give yourself another trying to clean this hellish mess. >* ah, I see >x insect A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has five legs and four eyes. >* OK, that "currently" is doing some work there >x insect A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has seven legs and three eyes. >g A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has four legs and six eyes. >g A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has ten legs and four eyes. >g A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has ten legs and seven eyes. >g A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has ten legs and seven eyes. >g A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has eight legs and four eyes. >g A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has eleven legs and two eyes. >* hmm, is this random? There might be a pattern... >x insect A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has eleven legs and three eyes. >open jar (the glass jar containing an insect) It isn't something you can open. >break jar (the glass jar containing an insect) Violence isn't the answer to this one. >eat jar (the glass jar containing an insect) That's plainly inedible. >* fair >x insect A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has nine legs and four eyes. >g A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has seven legs and seven eyes. >g A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has nine legs and seven eyes. >g A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has six legs and six eyes. >g A clear glass jar containing a hideous green insect. It's either dead or doing a very good job of playing dead and you have no desire to find out which. The number of legs and eyes appear to change every time you look at it. It currently has twelve legs and two eyes. >* ... maybe it's time to do something else >open shower You open the train station shower. >x shower The shower is covered in fresh droplets of dirty brown water, as if someone had just recently turned it on after months of neglect. Small droplets of water drip from the shower head to the floor below. >x head You can't see any such thing. >x floor You can't see any such thing. >turn on shower It isn't something you can switch. >take shower That's hardly portable. >* god bless idiomatic English >enter shower You get into the train station shower. >turn on water You can't see any such thing. >shower That verb doesn't work here, or, at least, not right now, but it might work somewhere later. >* probably for the best >out You get out of the train station shower. Train Station Restroom (David Petrocco) A harshly lit pay restroom. Dust and grime mar the once white tiles and marble of the facilities: A small shower stall with the curtain open, a bathroom stall with a single dirty toilet (there are mounts for a door, but it is nowhere to be seen), a small storage closet for janitorial supplies, a four by four row of small lockers, and an extremely dirty dual basin sink. The train station is EAST. >flush toilet That verb doesn't work here, or, at least, not right now, but it might work somewhere later. >x sink The train station restroom sink is currently switched off. >turn on sink As you turn on the sink it begins to shake violently. >x sink The train station restroom sink is currently switched on. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. You hear the sound of cracking stone as the tiles surrounding the sink begin to break free from the force of the shaking. >* seems fine >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. The sink finally breaks free from the wall and crashes to the floor but doesn't stop shaking. >take sink That's hardly portable. >push sink e The train station restroom sink cannot be pushed from place to place. >push sink It is fixed in place. >pull sink It is fixed in place. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >l Train Station Restroom (David Petrocco) A harshly lit pay restroom. Dust and grime mar the once white tiles and marble of the facilities: A small shower stall with the curtain open, a bathroom stall with a single dirty toilet (there are mounts for a door, but it is nowhere to be seen), a small storage closet for janitorial supplies, a four by four row of small lockers, and an extremely dirty dual basin sink. The train station is EAST. >x sink The train station restroom sink is currently switched on. >turn off sink Despite no longer being connected to anything the petrocco-sink stops shaking once it is switched off. >* oops, someone's private-name is showing >take sink That's hardly portable. >x sink The train station restroom sink is currently switched off. >turn on sink As you turn on the sink it begins to shake violently. >kick sink That verb doesn't work here, or, at least, not right now, but it might work somewhere later. >* well let's just leave it shaking, what's the worst that can happen? >e Train Station Lobby (Shin) The surroundings are as dim and dingy as ever. The platform is to the north. The dirty, cobweb-covered windows and the station exit are to the south. The large mirror and the green door are to the east. The restroom door is to the west. You are unsure what you should do. >s Exterior of Train Station (Emily Short with additions from Graham Nelson) To the north is the cyclopean windowless bulk of the train station. A metal trash can squats beneath its carved facade. The town itself is downhill, on the other side of a ravine. Somewhere down there, you can get a bath and a meal. A woman stands in the center of the bridge, preventing traffic in both directions. >save Ok. >* Oh, the power couple! Let's see what they've got >* "cyclopean windowless bulk of the train station", eh? >* Train Station Lobby (Shin): "The dirty, cobweb-covered windows and the station exit are to the south. " >* SPOOKY!!! >x bulk It is at least three stories tall, with no exterior windows. Carved on the outside are a series of figures, as though it were the outside of Notre Dame. Positioned in front is a trash can. >x figures Sculpted men and women, very muscular, engage in the work of building a train station. Most carry blocks of stone on their backs. Overseeing them is an inhuman figure carrying a whip. >x ravine It is hard to guess the depth. At one moment it seems no more than a story, and at the next measureless. Water must have carved this ravine, but not much is in evidence now. A thin trickle runs at the distant bottom of the chasm. >d The woman blocks you. "You know not what lies beyond this bridge," she says. It sounds like she means it. >* OK, we'll come back to you >x can It is a closed metal can from which issues an unfathomable stink. >smell can You have not yet learned to hate yourself to that degree. >* I repeat: the game is young >open can You open the trash can and peer into its stygian depths. Within you discern a pull-string doll and a dog-eared book. >take doll Taken. >take book Taken. >x doll The doll has an inane smile on its face and a pull-string in the middle of its back. It has the sort of head with two faces, one of which is hidden by its hair. Rotate the head and the other face will be forward. >pull string The doll chirps, "I like the train tracks! Parallel! Yay!" There is a tinny sound of applause. The sky is oppressively tenebrous. >* better than tenebrously oppressive >pull string The doll chirps, "I like the glass jar containing an insect! Hideous! Yay!" There is a tinny sound of applause. The sky above is a preternatural greenish color. >* I like your positive view of the world, creepy Janus-faced doll! >pull string The doll chirps, "I like the town! Brown! Yay!" There is a tinny sound of applause. >g The doll chirps, "I like the glass jar containing an insect! Hideous! Yay!" There is a tinny sound of applause. The clouds fly swiftly across the sky. >g The doll chirps, "I like the train tracks! Parallel! Yay!" There is a tinny sound of applause. >turn head You rotate the doll's head. Its alternate face appears, scowling fiercely. The clouds continue to race across the sky, lower than before. >pull string A voice comes from within the doll's body, hideous and gravelly: "Beware the glass jar containing an insect! It is unworthy of inspection! Green is the tint of poison and untamed growth!" The woman looks alarmed. Fat, grimy raindrops begin to fall. >* that's an oddly specific warning >pull string The doll intones: "Avoid the hazard of the ravine! Here is a division between one type of world and another entirely!" "What risk is this?" With a concerned look, the woman leans towards the doll as if to pay closer attention. >* Thanks for making the subtext text, doll >* Maybe I should stop pulling this because I might be inadvertently solving a puzzle >x woman She is wearing a long red scarf and a tattered skirt. The rain has plastered her hair to her head. She keeps shooting uncomfortable glances at the glass jar containing an insect. >x scarf A lurid scarlet, which indicates an unnatural vitality and vigor. It is raining harder now, and the street is already slick. >x skirt Tattered, antiquarian, a garment belonging to a previous century, when women in these parts were frequently burned. Rain falls as it did in Noah's day. >* Umm, based on the 73 visits I made to the Salem Witch Museum when I was a kid -- location of the Only Witch Trials on American Soil -- I'm pretty sure that's not right >* (Also it was all hangings, I think, plus Giles Corey who was crushed to death because he refused to plead) >* The peine forte et dure, I believe it's called. I still remember the display in the Witch Museum croaking "more... weight" as he refused to plead >* (You see, you couldn't be tried unless he pled, and if he was tried and found guilty his property would be forfeit rather than going to his wife and children) >* (I am a lawyer by training, BTW, so consider the HORROR of this LP ramped up accordingly) >* let's see, we were looking at a skirt before this digression, I think? >ask woman for scarf >* Oh man, I found a bug in Emily Short and Graham Nelson's bit! >* This game definitely needs Achievements >ask woman about herself "I was summoned here to protect you, and those like you." >* how considerate! >ask woman about summons The woman's answer is too base to comprehend. The downpour continues, drenching everything. >ask woman about myself Over the noise of the rain, she answers, "You naive idiot." >* fair >ask woman about those like me The woman's answer is unexplainable. >ask woman about town The woman says in a loud voice, "Surely even you can see its nature." >x town The rain comes between you and the town like a curtain of silver. No details are visible. >* guess not >ask woman about bridge She screams, "I have not the power to destroy it, or I certainly would, witless fool." >ask woman if she's quite all right You can't see any such thing. >offer coffee to woman The woman says, "I cannot receive gifts from your kind, idiot." >ask woman about gits She bellows, "You'll do best in this town if you ask least, ignorant stranger." >* I meant to ask about gifts, but I appreciate that she's warning me off the gits >ask woman about station She shouts, "The train station has been here a long time, in many different guises, stranger." >ask woman about anchorhead "The town is doomed." >* Is or was? >ask woman about cragne manor The woman's answer is too dim to comprehend. >ask woman about peter The woman's answer is undiscoverable. Heaven vomits forth streams and rivers and lakes. >ask woman about umbrella The woman's answer is too base to comprehend. >ask woman about scarf She screams, "Say what you will of my garments. The label isn't going to protect you in the troubles that come, foolish stranger." >x label A sticker with "Lost and Found" scrawled on it in black marker ink. >ask woman about label She bellows, "You'll do best in this town if you ask least." >ask woman about jar The woman whimpers nervously. Look up with a smile on your face and you will immediately drown. >look up with a smile on my face I only understood you as far as wanting to look up. >look up You see nothing unexpected in that direction. >* I suppose that's poetic license >show jar to woman The woman goes white. From behind you on the tracks comes a curious noise, mechanical and screeching, as though something were coming along the tracks. When you turn back, the woman has gone. >* Spooky! >x tracks The rain comes between you and the train tracks like a curtain of silver. No details are visible. >* Well I guess we can cross the bridge now >* Scaring away the woman summoned here to protect us seems fine >pull string The doll intones: "Guard against the jeopardy of the ravine! Here is a division between one type of world and another entirely!" >g The doll intones: "Guard against the peril of the bridge! Ancient objects cannot be relied upon! Crossing a bridge means you will not return!" The sky hates you. >g The doll intones: "Avoid the risk of the town! Grey is the shade of that which is already beyond recovery!" >g The doll intones: "Beware the plague of the bridge! The purpose of such things has long since been obliterated from human memory! Crossing a bridge means you will not return!" >* You're all right, scary-doll >x book A dog-eared, stained paperback called The Modern Girl's Divination Handbook -- Volume Three. The cover features three teenage girls of varying ethnicities laughing over the body of a dead cow, each one holding a section of entrails. Reading the blurb on the back makes you suspect that the authors used up all of the more normal divination methods in volumes one and two, and are now scraping the barrel for the really weird stuff. The sky hates you. >* Oooh, haru-spicy! >read book You flip past the title page, looking for something interesting... Corn on the Cob Castings If your parents are anything like our parents, they really suck at predicting the future... but they might have a kernel of truth for you! The next time you're at a family barbecue, slip this potion into your mom's potato salad, then wait for her to finish her corn on the cob-- What. [You can continue to READ the divination handbook; this is excerpt 1/3.] >g You continue to thumb through the book... Teddy Rux-Possession Did you learn about history from a creepy animatronic bear when you were a kid, and now he's just gathering dust? Good news! With a little bit of sage smudging and energy cleansing, Teddy Ruxpin makes the perfect home for a wandering spirit-- Nope nope nope. [You can continue to READ the divination handbook; this is excerpt 2/3.] >* isn't that the whole concept of Five Nights at Freddy's? >read it You flip past a lot of terrible ideas to the very last page of the book... Coffee Scrying Ever wonder if the little heart in your latte means the barista's crushing on you? Well, now you can find out for sure! All you need is a cold cup of coffee with some cream in it-- Huh. Unlike everything else in the book, this seems like it might actually prove useful. There aren't that many possible readings, so you quickly memorize them and slam the book closed. [This is the end of the divination handbook, but if you have no respect for your own intelligence, you can READ it again.] >* oooh! >scry coffee That verb doesn't work here, or, at least, not right now, but it might work somewhere later. >x coffee The clouds in your cup form horizontal bands. Lack of a symbolic image means that you have accomplished everything you must in your current environment and should move on to find new challenges in order to grow as a person. >* oh, is this hints? >n Train Station Lobby (Shin) The surroundings are as dim and dingy as ever. The platform is to the north. The dirty, cobweb-covered windows and the station exit are to the south. The large mirror and the green door are to the east. The restroom door is to the west. You are unsure what you should do. >x coffee The swirls in your cup form a dromedary camel. Modes of transportation mean that your current environment presents challenges that can only be overcome by seeking fresh perspectives elsewhere until you're ready to return. >w Train Station Restroom (David Petrocco) A harshly lit pay restroom. Dust and grime mar the once white tiles and marble of the facilities: A small shower stall with the curtain open, a bathroom stall with a single dirty toilet (there are mounts for a door, but it is nowhere to be seen), a small storage closet for janitorial supplies, a four by four row of small lockers, and an extremely dirty dual basin sink. The train station is EAST. >x coffee The swirls in your cup form -- weird, they've entirely dissipated. Lack of a symbolic image means that you have accomplished everything you must in your current environment and should move on to find new challenges in order to grow as a person. >e Train Station Lobby (Shin) The surroundings are as dim and dingy as ever. The platform is to the north. The dirty, cobweb-covered windows and the station exit are to the south. The large mirror and the green door are to the east. The restroom door is to the west. You are unsure what you should do. >n Railway Platform (Naomi Hinchen) The platform is open to the outdoors, but has an overhanging roof with a rusted sign hanging from it. At the back of the platform, to the south, is the entrance to the lobby. Train tracks stretch off into the distance to the east and west; on the other side of the track is a graffitied brick wall. The clock overhead gives the time as 4:00 pm; beneath the clock is a schedule board listing train arrival times. On the platform itself are a wooden bench, a storage locker, and a vending machine. Over the loudspeaker, you can hear a sound like heavy breathing. The clock tolls 4 times, each stroke rattling your teeth and resounding hollowly around the empty station. >x coffee The clouds in your cup form a sailboat. Modes of transportation mean that your current environment presents challenges that can only be overcome by seeking fresh perspectives elsewhere until you're ready to return. >* this is super handy! >* Guess I'm good to cross the bridge into Cragnetown proper >* As good a place as any to pause >save Ok.