Start of a transcript of Why Pout My IFComp 2024 entry. Wordplay. by Mick Stupp Release 1 / Serial number 240926 / Inform 7 build 6G60 (I6/v6.36 lib 6/12N) Identification number: //948E1AA3-296C-499A-9B10-FEB88280A212// Standard interpreter 1.2 (0) / Library serial number 080126 Standard Rules version 2/090402 by Graham Nelson Trivial Niceties version 1/140928 by Andrew Schultz Punctuation Stripper version 1/200614 by Andrew Schultz Bold Final Question Rows version 1/220701 by Andrew Schultz Old School Verb Total Carnage version 1/181008 by Andrew Schultz Versioning and Extensions Tweak version 1/240820 by Andrew Schultz Why Pout Tables version 1/240717 by Andrew Schultz Why Pout Definitions version 1/240816 by Andrew Schultz Why Pout Globals version 1/240720 by Andrew Schultz Why Pout Mistakes version 1/240825 by Andrew Schultz Why Pout I6 Replacements version 1/240819 by Andrew Schultz Inventory Checking Each Turn version 1/240908 by Andrew Schultz Trivial Text Shortcuts version 1/140928 by Andrew Schultz Revealing Passages version 1/240819 by Andrew Schultz >about Why Pout was written for IFComp 2024. It's something I originally thought about writing for EctoComp, but I never managed to mash enough ideas together. It reuses a lot of code from Roads of Liches and my Prime Pro Rhyme Row games, which have different mechanics but a similar conceit: guess the right two-word phrase. However, it's narrower in scope, and I didn't want to rely on too well-known examples of possible phrases for point scoring. Once I realized bigger projects weren't on the cards for IFComp 2024, I focused on something I could handle. I wound up making forty or so puzzle instead of the usual eighty. While the drip of ideas started February, 2020, according to my notes, I wasn't getting anything really original, or so it seemed. But the idea was always there. In my weekly writing file 20240429.txt, there's the game's title, and that's when significant ideas started appearing. But it wasn't until I registered for IFComp in July that ideas started clicking together. Deadlines are funny like that! Like most of my games, Why Pout rates merciful on the Zarfian cruelty scale. However, in this case, I want the puzzles to be more merciful in terms of general difficulty on the player's psyche than usual. Note that an optional room will appear about midway through the game. It may contain profanity, which I hope is amusing, but I don't blame you if you wish to skip it. blurglecruncheon@gmail.com is my email, and http://github.com/andrewschultz/why-pout is the github site, where you can report issues. I'm open to transcripts. CREDITS lists people who helped make Why Pout a reality, or a better version than it would've been without them. EXT shows the extensions listed, and VERSION or VERSIONS shows version info. >verbs Why Pout bypasses many of the standard Inform parser verbs, since it is word-puzzle based. Things are taken implicitly, and you don't need to drop anything. The four standard directions (NORTH, SOUTH, EAST and WEST) work, and some passages lead IN, OUT, UP, and DOWN, too. In addition, there are NPCs you may wish to TALK TO, which can be shortened to T. THINK will remind you of things you found, but the time wasn't right. Finally, ABOUT gives basic information about Why Pout and also cues some other meta-commands. Most point-scoring commands will consist of two words. >l Eh, Raw Air, Aww The air chokes you a bit. It's too thick to see far beyond yourself. You barely know who you are, even. Ugh. You can't see much beyond yourself, really, so that'd be somewhere to start. >find fine day You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. [NOTE: until the main area, parser verb errors like this will give occasional general hints. So don't be afraid to try stuff.] >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying nothing. >x me You think you have a name. Most people do, if you remember things correctly. For better or worse, you can't be special. You'd really like to have a purpose, too. The weird thing is, you feel the two must be inter-related in some simple way. A way that will feel dumb once you figure it out. But you haven't, yet. Hmm. A name. A name. You're focused on finding A NAME, and yet, if you just shook up this focus a bit, you might get something else... something that could kick-start you, no matter what your name is. >x name Nothing here like that. Note that room names are not usually worth examining, as you can just L or LOOK. >raw air You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. >think An inner voice says "Fry! Twist!" You feel fright, wist. It's hard not to, since you don't have a name or a purpose. For some reason, you're focused on getting a name, but you've got thins nagging feeling that's not quite it. Perhaps if you press a bit more, some thoughts may come out. >think An inner voice says "Fry! Twist!" You feel fright, wist. It's hard not to, since you don't have a name or a purpose. For some reason, you're focused on getting a name, but you've got thins nagging feeling that's not quite it. Well, not quite a purpose, but ... what's the word? "Dumb pit. Dump it!" you think to yourself. Which sounds slightly off, but it's all you have to go on. >dumb pit You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. >dump it You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. A cruel voice mocks "Way to wait, ooh!" >ra wear You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. >find A You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. >wipe out You aren't feeling too great, but you don't want or need to wipe yourself out, yet. Perhaps you can find the root of your problems and wipe it out one day, though. [NOTE: this command will be useful later, but you aren't ready to use it, yet. You can track commands like this by typing THINK, which will also clue you if they now work. Also, the "plus" number in the upper right status bar shows the number of not-yet-successful commands you've found.] >think An inner voice says "Fry! Twist!" You feel fright, wist. It's hard not to, since you don't have a name or a purpose. For some reason, you're focused on getting a name, but you've got thins nagging feeling that's not quite it. Well, not quite a purpose, but ... what's the word? "Aww, flake! Awful ache!" you think to yourself. Which sounds slightly off, but it's all you have to go on. You've already tried to WIPE OUT in response to taunts of "why pout," and you wonder if this all is easier. Maybe your search for a name will turn up something meaningful, regardless of what your name is. >get name Nothing here like that. >n "Grey trek? Great wreck!" you moon. You can't see anywhere. You know almost nothing. I mean, you don't even have a name. What would you do even if there was a passage? >grey trek You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. >dump it You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. That cruel voice, again. "You'd be better off WAITing or typing nothing." >wait Ideally I-D-L-E! >ideal idle You're stuck with what to do right now. Perhaps you can use your senses for clues, or THINK, or look inward again with X ME, to give you an idea of how to get started. Not just a what, but a how or a why. You can't exactly look outward. >listen Air, or ... a roar?! >error You sense you're on the right track, but you need to look inward to find something you lost before dealing with external stuff. >smell No funk, or fun. Cor! >an aim Yes. Now that you realize you want more than just to know your name, that you have bigger goals, you push a bit harder when you initially forget it. You remember patches of the past. You remember people harshly calling you by your last name, then your first. Your name is Mike Orr. You even remember it's -- well, one of these two things: short for Michal, which everyone pronounced Michael until you just gave up, or ... well, Michael. You look around a bit. You can see more, now. You're in some sort of tomb apse. You could exit--there are exits each way--but you suspect there's some horrible maze you could easily get lost in. Tomb Apse [Your score just went up by a point!] >x apse Nothing here like that. >x tomb Nothing here like that. >x tomb apse Nothing here like that. >to maps A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >tome maps A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >two maps You look around for secrets. You find one line that is a hash of horizontal lines and another that is a hash of vertical lines. You put them together ... and you see a maze. You hope you can trace a passage out. And, with some effort, you do! Then you follow it. You hope it's right, and it leads somewhere better, or at least not as awful... Hype Lane It's still pretty dark here. You must still be underground. Around you, cell phones, cell phones everywhere. Such confident chatter. Or it seems confident. It distracts you and your bearings, trying to figure who you really are and get somewhere less dark. You don't remember everything about your former self, but you remember you hated cell phones and how they distracted you. Maybe if the people yacking into them were taken down a peg, you could focus a bit more. Dang cell phones. [Your score just went up by a point!] >high plane That would be a nicer place! But you have nothing that could help you move up yet. You'll have to observe the general area a bit more. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >self own A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >self hone A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >self one A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >sell fun Man! The chatter from those phones must be distracting you from what you want and need to do, or maybe see. >self won A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >self owns You take a step back from all the confident, constant chatter in the cell phones. You hear that, indeed, people are just repeating mantras, and they are not as smart as they think they are. You wonder if you should say something to the most egregious offenders ... and you eventually do! And they appear flustered. They attack you back for being too quiet. You mention that if they annoyed someone as too-quiet as you, they must have gone over the line. Your confrontation did not go unnoticed by other cell phoners. They take the hint and moderate their voices. However, now, a prize talk blasts through hidden loudspeakers. It exhorts you to find your dream, to find something that will help you move above and beyond everyone else. It's probably talking about money or power, but you're looking for something different. [Your score just went up by a point!] >high plane That would be a nicer place! But you have nothing that could help you move up yet. You'll have to observe the general area a bit more. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >prized stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >ripe stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >pries stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >ryes stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >prys stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >prise stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >price stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >pricedstalk The prize talk has you distracted. It's got a point: you need to find something to get where you want. What's the something? You know where you want to get, the high plain/plane. >priced stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >iced stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >eyes stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >eyed stalk A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >pry stalk Among all the chatter, you discover a disused booth. Someone is preaching on about environmental stuff, and it's so much less painful than cell phone chat. You worry they're just going to blab on forever, but they're so grateful you listened as long as you did. They hand you a stalk they think can grow quickly. Their own special formula. It looks weird and glittery, and if anything can reach up out of here, this can. But the question is, where can it grow to? [Your score just went up by a point!] >high plane You plant the stalk, which -- well, it's already a bit of a stalk, but it grows quickly and sturdily. It's not hard at all to climb. You are pretty sure you're aboveground, but it's hard to see for sure. Naff Haze You're surrounded by some really naff haze. It's naff because you can't go anywhere, and it also just makes you feel naff, and it seems so universal, like there's no escaping from it. [Your score just went up by a point!] >a phase A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >in a phase A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >anaphase That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >of phase A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >aft phase A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >waft phase A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >nah phase The haze seemed too thick at first. But you recognize it doesn't have to be there. As you sift through it, you notice things that weren't there before. It lifts. High Plain Things have opened up to where you see potential paths now, with the naff haze lifted. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, but you see no way in. Gross tar blocks the way NORTH into darkness. A short rail leads -- well, not very far. You get the sense it should lead somewhere more. You feel policed here. And it's the mean American gung-ho militarized sort of policed, not the (usually) kinder UK brand. Where and what is this policed feeling coming from? [Your score just went up by a point!] >grow star You look at the gross tar, and you hope for a star in the sky to become brighter. It does, and clearly some of the tar is goopier than some of the other tar. You see a way to the north, and after you do, the tar isn't as relevant any more. [Your score just went up by a point!] >key pillar You look around the pillars for a key, since there's no flowerpot to hide it under. You find one, and once it unlocks the way west, you hide it, again. [Your score just went up by a point!] >shore trail There must be more to the short rail than you see. And you start tracing where it is, where it can be, where it should go. You find something to dig up. It's ... surprisingly malleable. You have nothing else to do, anyway. Soon it feels like pulling cable from a ground. It's tough, since you can't see around, but indeed, the short rail does lead to a shore trail that leads south. [Your score just went up by a point!] >pole iced A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >pole ish A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >hop iced That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >pole east Ah, yes. It makes sense. You find the pole. Strangely, there's just a single switch to flip. And even more strangely, the switch you flip causes the pole to revert into the ground. Yay! But there's more! A war pawn, like a chess piece, rolls into view. It looks pretty powerful. As you take it, you reflect that you may wish to save it for down the road when you're really stuck somewhere. You have a good idea HOW to use it, at any rate. You've changed the landscape a lot, north, south, east and west. But there's more! You hear a rumbling beneath you, opening a passage DOWN! [Your score just went up by a point!] >l High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. >s No Notion You simply have no notion what lies beyond here. Surely the shore trail didn't just lead to a dead end! You can go back north to where you started. >gnome ocean A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >none ocean A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >nun ocean A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >known ocean Ah, yes. Things clear up a bit now. There we go ... you see where an ocean should be, and ... yes, you dip your toe in some wetness. Things clear up. You even see a sick squid! Maybe you can help it. Known Ocean [Your score just went up by a point!] >six quid You have an idea what is bothering the squid. Yes, a few coins stuck. Surprisingly, it lets you help out. "Current, sea, currency," you mutter as you poke around. Ah, there you go. You offer to give it some of the coins it almost choked on, but it does not need them. It seems to wait around, as if to help you with travel to places you may get to go. It's willing to wait. [Your score just went up by a point!] >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: a war pawn You have six quid from helping the sick squid. You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >n High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. >e Lobe End This lobe of land appears to fall off steeply in all directions except back west. Maybe you could look for something that might be a hill, even a steep one. >low bend You almost despair for a minute that you reached a dead end so soon. You page through all the possible ways out, proving to yourself you're right, hoping against hope you're wrong. And looking around, you see you are! There is a bit more to all this. A very thin and reasonably sloped path north leads down to some water. Which you can't cross at the moment, but maybe you'll figure a way. Low Bend [Your score just went up by a point!] >n You have no way across the water, yet. >w High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A plant racker lies here, pretty much useless. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. >x sign There are clues in here to figure what it hides, if you look the right way. You might be scared to. >plan tracker Wow! That was ... surprisingly simple. You find a rather new-looking plan tracker behind the plant racker, which crumbles to dust as you push it aside. [Your score just went up by a point!] >i There's that occasional voice ringing in your head asking "Why pout?" But besides that ... You are carrying: a plan tracker (with no ideas yet) a war pawn You have six quid from helping the sick squid. You have a name, too, now, you remember: Mike Orr. >manicured That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >gnome old You summon a gnome, old, to compliment them on keeping the keep looking so nice all these years. They thank you but mention they're a bit sick of it and they seek adventure. Yet they can't go adventuring in these tatty clothes. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >x gnome A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >think You try and think of stuff you tried, but the time wasn't quite right. You may be able to recruit the GNOME OLD here once you have adventuring gear. You will want to WIPE OUT the cause of your problems once you have them in your crosshairs. >rogue old A rogue, old, arrives. They mention they'd like to help you but, you know, the row (gold) needs maintenance. You offer to pay them three quid.. It looks like the rogue (old) will be following you around. All that silence might get awkward, so you may wish to T or TALK (TO) them. This transaction reduces your wealth from six quid to three quid. [Your score just went up by a point!] >t rogue You chat with the rogue (old) a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The rogue (old) discusses ways to sneak around so vastly overpowered opponents can't blow you away, and you also learn not to feel guilty or shifty about being good at sneaking around, around much more unsavory entities than yourself. Wow! Things are starting to make sense. Maybe talking to others will help make even more sense. >see design You sort of want to see the hidden design, but you're sort of scared what will happen once you do. The rogue (old) can only help so much. You feel like you need some more support before you can give it your all. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. The rogue (old) waits here for what to do or where to go next. >s Even with the rogue (old)'s support, you are still terrified of what is south. You may need just a bit more. >mani curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >many curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >maniac curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >manioc curb A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >manna curb Perhaps there is a lot of good stuff beneath the manic herb, but you don't have the specialized knowledge to figure it out. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >see design You sort of want to see the hidden design, but you're sort of scared what will happen once you do. The rogue (old) can only help so much. You feel like you need some more support before you can give it your all. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >e High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The rogue (old) follows you. >s Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. The rogue (old) follows you. >t squid It seems to be choking a bit. >six quid You don't need any more money, and the squid doesn't need any more help. >n High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The rogue (old) follows you. >n Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You feel high doubt here you can go anywhere else. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. The rogue (old) follows you. >wool frock You rummage about and find a wool frock. [Your score just went up by a point!] >low door Maybe there's a low door beneath the lode ore, which definitely has small holes. But not small enough for you to fit through and scrabble and scrape to find one, and nobody around is quite small enough to help you. Well, yet. (useful command again saved to THINK for later reference.) >s High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The rogue (old) follows you. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. You are really impressed by how no mold grows here. Someone must be keeping it up well. Who? A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. The rogue (old) follows you. >gnome old A gnome, old, arrives from a room above in the keep. They offer to adventure with you, if you have suitable enough adventuring gear. As a matter of fact, you do. The wool frock works well. "Less gnome attic, more nomadic," they muse. Funnily, you stop specifically noticing the lack of mold now your new companion's joined you. But you still appreciate their efforts deep down! [Your score just went up by a point!] >t gnome You chat with the gnome (old) a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The gnome (old) discusses ways of finding hidden psychic weaknesses in a very tough opponent. You also hear how whatever force there is, it only cares about things looking good on the outside. The gnome had so much mold to protect against and continually scrape away, even outside of the keep. Well, that's even more useful information worth remembering. >e High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The gnome (old) and rogue (old) follow you. >n Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You feel high doubt here you can go anywhere else. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >low door Maybe there's a low door beneath the lode ore, which definitely has small holes. But not small enough for you to fit through and scrabble and scrape to find one, and nobody around is quite small enough to help you. Well, yet. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >s High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >d Worm-Eaten This place seems very run-down. But it feels homey and inspires camaraderie in an odd way. Someone comes out from the depths. They introduce themselves as the gone traitor, someone who cozied up to the bad guys and ditched their friends, then ditched the bad guys. And only recently they ran away, but how can they ask for forgiveness? Surely it just doesn't happen like this? Just one small change and you have a new identity? Rubbish! The rogue (old) and gnome (old) follow you. >wormy tin That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >warm eton You don't need to change this place's complexion here. It's cozy, a place for people to be together. But how? >trait orr That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >gawn rater Hmm. You need someone much more active than that. Someone who can help with rebellion, not just whine about things that are wrong. >gaunt rater Hmm. You need someone much more active than that. Someone who can help with rebellion, not just whine about things that are wrong. >gaunt raider After some discussion, you work out a plan to make the gone trader reframe what they did. Whoever they were, the evil powers, they rejected them instead of doubling down. Perhaps there is a way to get back at them. They know things you never could hope to. [Your score just went up by a point!] >t traider Nothing here like that. >t raider You chat with the gaunt raider a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The gaunt raider discusses regret for their past actions, as well as some possibilities for how to use it to boost yourself to do the right thing, or when to just drop it without being drowned by guilt. Well, that's more useful information worth remembering. >l Worm-Eaten This place seems very run-down. But it feels homey and inspires camaraderie in an odd way. The gaunt raider, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) wait here for what to do or where to go next. >u High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. Your three companions follow you. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. A seedy sign stands here, advertising somewhere very risky indeed. Your three companions follow you. >see design You see the design in the seedy sign. It leads somewhere scary. Somewhere you don't want your friends to visit. Though you appreciate their support. You'll be right back. You think. You hope. Nigh Fright Whatever you need to do or find here, you only want to do it once. You don't want to have to come back. You're glad your friends supported you enough to get here, but you don't want to have to rely on them like that again. So, what do you need to find, before getting out? [Your score just went up by a point!] >knife right With your friends boosting your spirits, you look for a sacred/profane weapon. It turns up. Eerie howling begins. You hightail it out of there. Keep (Iller) [Your score just went up by a point!] >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. The gaunt raider, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) wait here for what to do or where to go next. >s You don't need or want to go back there. >e High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. An ominous new construction appears here. It's called BRUISE WARES. Perhaps you should ignore it. Often one doesn't want to engage that sort of thing. But you may feel that much more accomplished tackling whatever is behind there. Your three companions follow you. >brew swears Yes. That's what BRUISE WARES is really for. Enter at your own risk. It's ... an adventure, of its own sort. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] >enter wares Your companions stay behind. They recognize this is a spiritual fight for you and you alone. Brew Swears If you thought Hype Lane was bad, this is even worse. You can leave back OUT. Some grinch earls parade around here, bragging about how they ruin boring people's fun with their dynamic ways and pointing out that it's easy to be nice if you're boring. They fix you with a "We parse: weep, arse" gaze. They constantly blather "WE CUSS" and seem quite proud of that. A crude orc trundles around here, trying to impress the grinch earls. >grin churls You slip in a few sly digs and say "grin, churls." They shake their heads, annoyed. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] >weak ass A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >weak us You're surprised how just making a little shift can make the grin churls seem much weaker. Their strength is the sort of brute force that doesn't lift other people up. They throw down the gauntlet at this point. Don't you know cussing shows higher intelligence? Some study or other showed that! The crude orc looks back and forth between you and the grin churls, glaring at them a bit, but not yet ready to break free. Just a bit more, and you may gain a friend. Your observation has caused something to "righteously" snap in the grin churls. And boy, are they going to firehose you with their "best!" The grin churls laugh and say "Hush it." [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] >huh shit You reject the grin churls' "urbane" attempts at shutting you up. They're a bit surprised at you. The grin churls mock you, or maybe boost themselves, with "Heh, class!" [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] >heck lass That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >heckle us A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >heckle ass You give back at least as good as you got, showing you don't need to use the big cuss words to get a point in as well. The grin churls shake their heads at you: "Bah! Sturdy?!" [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] >bastardy You show you're sturdy and then some, with just the right tone of exasperation. They pretend not to be impressed, but they don't have a comeback. The grin churls launch "Weird! Ick!"'s at enemies real and imagined. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] >we're dick [NOTE: found an apostrophe and removed it. You never need to use apostrophes in commands. Why Pout will eliminate apostrophes without nagging you in the future.] A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >weir dick That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >wear dick Nothing here like that. >we're ick A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >were dick A voice in your head encourages you: "Seem, or see, more!" You've got SOMETHING right, here. >word ick That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >l Brew Swears If you thought Hype Lane was bad, this is even worse. You can leave back OUT. Some grin churls parade around here, bragging about how they ruin boring people's fun with their dynamic ways and pointing out that it's easy to be nice if you're boring. They fix you with a "We parse: weep, arse" gaze, though they're less effective than when they were self-styled earls. You cut their "we cuss" down to size, so they're now giving examples of how they cuss. A crude orc trundles around here, looking equally between you and the grin churls. The grin churls take cheap shots and say "Life occurs." >lie fuckers You cut down the grin churls for making things more bleak than they are. Sure, life can be cruel, but that's no excuse to make it even more cruel. They give a "whatever," but you see the point touched home. The grin churls launch "Weird! Ick!"'s at enemies real and imagined. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] >where pick That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >crew dork You break the truth gently to the crude orc that, well, they're at the bottom of the totem pole for this crew. They'll use the crude orc, maybe even not let them into the clique, and then find the next sucker. The grin churls surprisingly have little response to this besides, well, profanity. The crude orc sees it now. The grin churls weren't as friendly as they seemed. They wanted to use some trusting kid and corrupt them. The crude orc shakes their head. They ask if they can be seen as an orc and not, well, a dork. You say sure. You've gained a friend! You can stick around to torment the grinch earls further, or you can go on your way. [Your score just went up by a bonus point!] >t orc You chat with the crude orc a bit, learning more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The crude orc doesn't have any strategy, per se. It's still young and naive. But it asks the sort of questions you forgot you had. Perhaps others youths have these questions, too, or they would, with -- well, whatever force that kidnapped you -- not pressing on them so much. And while impressing kids with mean swears isn't overarching evil, it's a gateway to nastier things. Kids like the orc are worth helping. Well, that's more useful information worth remembering. The grin churls launch "Weird! Ick!"'s at enemies real and imagined. >out As you lead the crude orc out, BRUISE-WARES crumbles behind you. High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. The gaunt raider, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) wait here for what to do or where to go next. The crude orc follows you. >n Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You feel high doubt here you can go anywhere else. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. Your four companions follow you. >low door Maybe there's a low door beneath the lode ore, which definitely has small holes. But not small enough for you to fit through and scrabble and scrape to find one, and nobody around is quite small enough to help you. Well, yet. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >think You try and think of stuff you tried, but the time wasn't quite right. You may be able to find a LOW DOOR here once you have a companion or companions small enough to dig a bit better. You may be able to find a MANNA CURB beneath the manna curb in Keep (Iller) once you have someone with knowledge of wildlife and wildflowers. You will want to WIPE OUT the cause of your problems once you have them in your crosshairs. >s High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. Your four companions follow you. >w Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. Your four companions follow you. >manna curb Perhaps there is a lot of good stuff beneath the manic herb, but you don't have the specialized knowledge to figure it out. Hmph. That still doesn't quite work! You'll figure out the how and when and where, though. >t rogue You chat with the rogue (old) a bit, recapping more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The rogue (old) discusses ways to sneak around so vastly overpowered opponents can't blow you away, and you also learn not to feel guilty or shifty about being good at sneaking around, around much more unsavory entities than yourself. That was a nice refresher, though it didn't reveal anything new. [NOTE: if you want to see whom you haven't talked to yet, T by itself will do the trick. If there's only one companion you haven't talked to, you will talk to them] >t That's ambiguous--more than one friend you can chat with. >t orc You chat with the crude orc a bit, recapping more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The crude orc doesn't have any strategy, per se. It's still young and naive. But it asks the sort of questions you forgot you had. Perhaps others youths have these questions, too, or they would, with -- well, whatever force that kidnapped you -- not pressing on them so much. And while impressing kids with mean swears isn't overarching evil, it's a gateway to nastier things. Kids like the orc are worth helping. That was a nice refresher, though it didn't reveal anything new. >t gnome You chat with the gnome (old) a bit, recapping more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The gnome (old) discusses ways of finding hidden psychic weaknesses in a very tough opponent. You also hear how whatever force there is, it only cares about things looking good on the outside. The gnome had so much mold to protect against and continually scrape away, even outside of the keep. That was a nice refresher, though it didn't reveal anything new. >l Keep (Iller) This keep has seen better days, but there seems to be a lot in its ruins. You can go back EAST. You also sense something fearsome from a passage south. A row (gold) shines in this otherwise forbidding keep. There's a bunch of manic herb here. You don't know a lot about it, other than that some is really poisonous and some is okay. There's so much, perhaps it's hiding something. That seedy sign stands off to the side here. It's no longer scary, but you don't wish to bother with it, any more. The gaunt raider, the crude orc, the rogue (old) and the gnome (old) wait here for what to do or where to go next. >t raider You chat with the gaunt raider a bit, recapping more about the history of the area you're exploring and why you're here. It fills in some blanks in your memory. The gaunt raider discusses regret for their past actions, as well as some possibilities for how to use it to boost yourself to do the right thing, or when to just drop it without being drowned by guilt. That was a nice refresher, though it didn't reveal anything new. >w Apart from finding a way beyond the seedy sign, which you don't need to again, the keep doesn't have many twisty passages. Well, any. >e High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. Your four companions follow you. >e Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. Well, nobody's probably going to give you transport north for free. Maybe you can summon or find someone who will. Your four companions follow you. >t quid Nothing here like that. >n You have no way across the water, yet. >w High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. Your four companions follow you. >s Known Ocean It looks like there is an ocean, or some large body of water, and maybe some islands in the distance. They are too far to swim to. You can go back north to where you started. A formerly (thanks to you) sick squid trundles about in the water here. Your four companions follow you. >t squid It seems to be choking a bit. >help squid That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >n High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. Your four companions follow you. >n Wolf Rock A big rock in the shape of a wolf looms impressively, blocking all passages except back SOUTH. You feel high doubt here you can go anywhere else. There's a huge pile of lode ore here, too, and perhaps there's something in it. Your four companions follow you. >s High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. Your four companions follow you. >d Worm-Eaten This place seems very run-down. But it feels homey and inspires camaraderie in an odd way. Your four companions follow you. >u High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. Your four companions follow you. >e Low Bend The low bend (former lobe end) now bends from west to north, where you see water, too much to cross on foot. Well, nobody's probably going to give you transport north for free. Maybe you can summon or find someone who will. Your four companions follow you. >bay sail That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >x water Nothing here like that. >x bay Nothing here like that. >x bend Hmm, no, you already did that, or something like that. You'll know if and when you need to flip between things. >w High Plain Things have opened up in every cardinal direction now, with the naff haze lifted. You feel less policed, too, since you found a path EAST. You got rid of the gross tar blocking your way NORTH. The shore trail you discovered leads SOUTH. A keep, iller, rises to the WEST, and you figured how to enter it. There's also a way DOWN that opened up once you found passages in all cardinal directions. Your four companions follow you. >bay sail That thought/action/observation/request brings up nothing. Why Pout has a limited set of verbs, and the main thing is to guess a two-word phrase. To see what verbs are used, try VERBS. >say bail (to yourself) There is no reply. >