Game transcript mode ON. Type a backtick ( ` ) character at the start of an input to make a comment in your transcript. Type TSTOP to save your transcript. The trail flattens out here, just before a small wooden bridge crossing a gorge with a stream at the bottom. You remember from previous years that the stream is usually fairly deep, but it's barely a trickle at the moment - the weather has been unusually dry over the last month and the mountain has suffered for it. You see: Susan, a trickle of water. Exits: Up. >X ME You are in the best shape you've ever been for running a race like this. But you're still fairly tired from your exertions! It's been a long day out. >I You are carrying: \ \ (*) your pack (worn)\ \ (*) your GPS watch (worn)\ >X PACK It's a ten-litre hydration pack, containing all your essential kit for the race. The event rules are that you have to carry all this stuff just in case, even if you don't end up needing it on the day. The pack contents include: the race instructions your headlamp a flask your walking poles >X INSTRUCTIONS You might want to take the race instructions out of your pack first. >TAKE INSTRUCTIONS You already have the race instructions. >X INSTRUCTIONS The race instructions provide information about the course, checkpoint cutoff times, things like that. It's not mandatory to carry them with you, but you've found in the past that it sometimes saves you from getting lost. >READ INSTRUCTIONS The race instructions for this section tell you to cross the stream at the bridge and continue up the mountain. It shouldn't be too far to the next race checkpoint, which is the final one before the finish. >READ INSTRUCTIONS The race instructions for this section tell you to cross the stream at the bridge and continue up the mountain. It shouldn't be too far to the next race checkpoint, which is the final one before the finish. >L The trail flattens out here, just before a small wooden bridge crossing a gorge with a stream at the bottom. You remember from previous years that the stream is usually fairly deep, but it's barely a trickle at the moment - the weather has been unusually dry over the last month and the mountain has suffered for it. You see: Susan, a trickle of water. Exits: Up. >X PACK It's a ten-litre hydration pack, containing all your essential kit for the race. The event rules are that you have to carry all this stuff just in case, even if you don't end up needing it on the day. The pack contents include: your headlamp a flask your walking poles >X LAMP You brought this headlamp as directed by the race rules. All participants need to carry a headlamp and wear it when it's dark. >X FLASK The flask is empty. You need to fill it before you can get going again. >X POLES You might want to take the walking poles out of your pack first. >TAKE POLES You get the walking poles out of your pack. >X POLES A set of two extendable walking poles. You don't tend to need them on most terrain, but they can be useful for climbing up and down particularly steep or difficult sections. >X BRIDGE The little wooden bridge is a familiar sight. You remember seeing it the first time you and Susan ran the Merrithorne race; the water was nearly up to the level of the bridge that day. It was you who was struggling that time as it was very wet and cold and you hadn't brought enough warm layers, being less experienced in those days. Susan lent you her waterproof to get you up the last climb of the mountain. You've always worked together like that. >FILL WATER It doesn't look like you can fill the water. >X WATER The stream is lower than you've ever seen it - a tiny trickle of water, only a few inches wide. >X WATER The stream is lower than you've ever seen it - a tiny trickle of water, only a few inches wide. >I You are carrying: \ \ (*) your pack (worn)\ \ (*) the race instructions\ \ (*) your GPS watch (worn)\ \ (*) your walking poles\ >X PACK It's a ten-litre hydration pack, containing all your essential kit for the race. The event rules are that you have to carry all this stuff just in case, even if you don't end up needing it on the day. The pack contents include: your headlamp a flask >TAKE FLASK You get the flask out of your pack. >FILL FLASK The water in the stream is so low that you can't reach it from up here. You'll need to find a way of getting down into the stream gorge. >D You can't see an easy way to climb down. Maybe Susan can help, or maybe you can look around a bit more. >X SUSAN Susan is resting on the ground with her back against the nearby oak tree. She looks tired, but she smiles at you, a bit of the old sparkle in her eyes. 'Just one last mountain to go,' you say. 'We've got this.' 'Of course we have,' she says, with just the tiniest hint of doubt. 'We always do.' >TALK TO SUSAN 'Could you help me climb down into the gorge?' you ask. 'I don't see an easier way to the stream.' 'I could lower you down,' offers Susan, though she looks a bit worried about it. She's sitting down against a tree and is looking a bit weak. 'Well...' You hesitate. QUESTION -> Ask Susan to lower you down? Ask Susan to lower you down? >2 ANSWER -> 1 You shake your head. 'No. You should rest. I'll look for another way down.' >X GORGE From the marks in the stone around the gorge, it's clear that the water in the stream is usually a lot higher; however, the last few weeks have been unusually hot and dry, and the stream has been reduced to a trickle as a result. The sides of the gorge rise high and cliff-like from the stony bottom. >X SIDES The stony sides of the gorge are mostly smooth from years of passing water. There are some noticeable marks that indicate the water level is usually a lot higher. Peering over the edge, you notice a tree root sticking out of the near side of the gorge. >X ROOT The tree root is wide, sturdy-looking and sticking out of the side of the gorge by about eight inches. You can see a large, dry-looking tree up on the bank, a few feet away from its exposed root. >X TREE You can't see any tree here. >D You carefully take hold of the tree root and lower yourself down into the stream gorge. >FILL FLASK You take your flask and fill it with water from the stream, running it through the flask's filter and then washing the filter out once you're done. Susan throws her flask down to you, and you repeat the process. >U You carefully take hold of the tree root and haul yourself up, back onto the bank. >I You are carrying: \ \ (*) your pack (worn)\ \ (*) the race instructions\ \ (*) your GPS watch (worn)\ \ (*) a flask of water\ \ (*) your walking poles\ >GIVE FLASK TO SUSAN Susan doesn't need that - she has her own pack of stuff with her. >TALK TO SUSAN 'I got the water,' you say, handing Susan her flask. 'Thanks,' she says gratefully, taking a drink and putting the rest away in her pack. >TALK TO SUSAN 'Are you feeling okay?' you ask. Susan nods. 'Yes, much better for a sit-down, thanks. Shall we move on?' >U The water is very welcome as you trudge up the final part of the climb. You feel your own energy returning, and it also seems to revive Susan... a little. She looks determined as she plods, but very tired. At the top of the mountain, the welcome sight of the checkpoint hoves into view. This is a real milestone along the Merrithorne route - about two-thirds of the way along - as it's the final peak, and so it's all pretty much downhill to the finish line from here on in. You had planned to pick up the pace at this point, aiming for a strong finish. However, you had also planned to make it to this point a lot earlier. It doesn't look likely that you'll finish the race before late afternoon now. At the checkpoint, a large gazebo has been set up to shelter both runners and volunteers from the elements. A few runners are sitting in chairs under the tarpaulin, resting and refuelling for the effort ahead. The volunteers sit at a desk, one of them holding a list ready to check runners off. You see: Susan, a gazebo. Exits: Down. Susan's eyes light up at the sight of the deckchairs set up under the gazebo. She sinks gratefully into the nearest chair and closes her eyes. >SAVE QUESTION -> Save Game Save Game >1 ANSWER -> 1 Saved Game In Slot 1 >X DESK The desk used by the volunteers to sign runners into the checkpoint is really just another trestle table, but it looks very official. >X VOLUNTEERS Three or four volunteers are manning the checkpoint. They sign runners into the checkpoint on a list, replenish the food on the tables and help with first aid when necessary. >TALK TO VOLUNTEERS You talk to the volunteers for a minute. They ask if Susan needs first aid, but you decline. You're sure she'll be fine after some food and a rest. >TALK TO SUSAN Susan looks a bit too tired to talk right now. Maybe she'll perk up after some food. >X LIST It's a list of race participants. The volunteers put a tick next to the name when a runner comes through the checkpoint. >TAKE FOOD The food on the tables isn't suitable for Susan's allergies, and you're not hungry yourself. >I You are carrying: \ \ (*) your pack (worn)\ \ (*) the race instructions\ \ (*) your GPS watch (worn)\ \ (*) a flask of water\ \ (*) your walking poles\ >X PACK It's a ten-litre hydration pack, containing all your essential kit for the race. The event rules are that you have to carry all this stuff just in case, even if you don't end up needing it on the day. The pack contents include: your headlamp >L At the checkpoint, a large gazebo has been set up to shelter both runners and volunteers from the elements. A few runners are sitting in chairs under the tarpaulin, resting and refuelling for the effort ahead. The volunteers sit at a desk, one of them holding a list ready to check runners off. You see: Susan, a gazebo. Exits: Down. >TALK TO SUSAN Susan looks a bit too tired to talk right now. Maybe she'll perk up after some food. >L At the checkpoint, a large gazebo has been set up to shelter both runners and volunteers from the elements. A few runners are sitting in chairs under the tarpaulin, resting and refuelling for the effort ahead. The volunteers sit at a desk, one of them holding a list ready to check runners off. You see: Susan, a gazebo. Exits: Down. >X FOOD You can't see any food here. >X GAZEBO It probably took a fairly hefty vehicle to carry all the parts of this large gazebo up to the mountaintop, but you can see that it was worth it. The tarpaulin roof provides shelter from the sun for both the runners taking a break and the volunteers sitting at the checkpoint desk. It also prevents the pile of drop bags at the back of the gazebo from getting too warm - you'd imagine that if anyone had snacks in their drop bag, they would have melted in the baking sun otherwise. You glance at the pile of drop bags at the back of the gazebo. It'd be a good idea to find Susan's drop bag with her food in it. She has a lot of allergies so she can't eat the food laid out on the trestle tables. >X DROP BAGS A large pile of drop bags - bags sent here by runners containing things they might want to pick up at the checkpoint - sits against the back wall of the gazebo. You can see your and Susan's drop bags among the pile. Susan's drop bag doesn't look as full as yours, but you know she'll have packed some snacks in there. >TAKE SUSAN'S You can't see any susan's here. >TAKE SUSAN'S DROP BAG You go through your own drop bag first in case there's anything useful, but you don't need anything from it at this point - it's all spare waterproof gear and warm layers, which you would have been glad of in wet weather but you don't need today. Susan's drop bag contains her specially prepared snacks, which you take over to her chair. She takes them gratefully, but you can tell it's a bit of a struggle for her to eat at the moment. >GIVE FLASK Susan doesn't need that - she has her own pack of stuff with her. >TALK TO SUSAN 'How are you feeling?' you ask as Susan finishes her food, grimacing. 'I need to rest for an hour or two,' she admits. 'Sorry. I know I'm slowing you down today.' 'You take a deep breath and ask the question you've been avoiding for several hours. 'Do you perhaps think you should DNF?' Susan looks at you sharply. 'No, of course not! I can finish, I know I can!' You sigh inwardly. You knew that would be the answer. A DNF (did not finish) is no indignity on a mountain race like this one - they are long, tough days out and sometimes you might just have a bad day. But Susan, like you, is stubborn as a mule and has never DNFed a race in her life. She'll stick it out until the bitter end. Of course she will. 'You could go on alone,' suggests Susan. 'You're doing really well. You could get a good time if you head off now. Then I'll just meet you at the finish.' You hesitate. You worry Susan will never finish if you don't stay together. But she's right - if you go on alone, you've got a really good chance of doing well... QUESTION -> Go on alone without Susan? Go on alone without Susan? >2 ANSWER -> 1 You shake your head. Though it will probably cost you the good race result you trained for, you and Susan have always stuck together on these adventures, and you're not about to change that now. You sit down in the chair beside Susan and wait with her until she feels ready to go again. It takes a few hours, and you realise that you certainly won't be finishing this race in daylight. >TAKE HEADLAMP You get the headlamp out of your pack. >L At the checkpoint, a large gazebo has been set up to shelter both runners and volunteers from the elements. A few runners are sitting in chairs under the tarpaulin, resting and refuelling for the effort ahead. The volunteers sit at a desk, one of them holding a list ready to check runners off. You see: Susan, a gazebo, a pile of drop bags. Exits: Down. >TALK TO SUSAN 'Let's go,' says Susan. 'I feel like I can move again now.' >D Now that you're travelling downhill, the pace is a little faster, even though Susan is clearly still tired. The sun becomes long in the sky, starting to set as you clamber down the mountain path and enter the forest below. As the trees become denser, you realise how dark this forest can start to feel when the daylight isn't so bright. You've never been here so late before. It makes it really difficult to identify the right path, even with Susan's keen sense of direction. The forest has become really dense here. The smell of dry branches and the hooting of birds surround you, making you feel a little claustrophobic. You see: Susan. Exits: Southeast, Southwest. 'Which way now?' you ask Susan as she trails behind you. She's been a trooper so far with remembering the route, but now she appears stumped. 'Ummm...' 'Never mind,' you say, rooting through your pack for the race instructions. But you can't find the race instructions. You go through your pack twice, but they're not there. You must have dropped them somewhere. 'Do you have your copy of the instructions?' you ask Susan. She shakes her head shamefully. 'I memorised the route. I thought I knew it... but this fork is throwing me. Sorry.' >WEAR LAMP You wear the headlamp. >TURN ON LAMP You don't need to switch the headlamp on when it's not dark. Best to save its battery. >I You are carrying: \ \ (*) your pack (worn)\ \ (*) your GPS watch (worn)\ \ (*) your headlamp (worn)\ \ (*) a flask of water\ \ (*) your walking poles\ >X PACK It's a ten-litre hydration pack, containing all your essential kit for the race. The event rules are that you have to carry all this stuff just in case, even if you don't end up needing it on the day. The pack contents include: >X SUSAN Susan is taking this opportunity to sit down on a tree stump. She still looks tired, but you're hopeful that she'll make it to the end. >X STUP You can't see any stup here. >X STUMP You can't see any stump here. >TALK TO SUSAN 'Are you sure you don't remember which way to go?' you ask. 'Sorry,' Susan says again, looking a bit distressed. 'Look... there's an oak tree there. That looks familiar. But I really don't remember the way here.' You look in the direction Susan is pointing. The oak tree does look familiar, somehow. >X SUSAN Susan is taking this opportunity to sit down on a tree stump. She still looks tired, but you're hopeful that she'll make it to the end. >X TREE The tree has a few low, thick branches, making it easy to climb. >X OAK TREE The tree has a few low, thick branches, making it easy to climb. >CLIMB TREE The tree looks nice and easy to climb. It shouldn't sap too much of your energy. You climb the tree... You instantly feel you can breathe a bit better at the top of the tree. You can see the sun setting against the other side of the mountain you've just travelled down, and the valley below that leads to the eventual finish line. It's a lot clearer from here which direction you need to go. Exits: Down. From up here in the treetop, you can clearly make out the path in the distance, snaking around the cliffside up ahead. It exits the forest to the southeast. >D You climb down the tree... The forest has become really dense here. The smell of dry branches and the hooting of birds surround you, making you feel a little claustrophobic. You see: Susan, a sturdy tree. Exits: Southeast, Southwest, Up. >TALK TO SUSAN You tell Susan you know the right path now, having climbed the tree and looked out from the viewpoint. 'Great,' says Susan. 'Shall we get going?' >U You climb the tree... You instantly feel you can breathe a bit better at the top of the tree. You can see the sun setting against the other side of the mountain you've just travelled down, and the valley below that leads to the eventual finish line. It's a lot clearer from here which direction you need to go. Exits: Down. You take another look at the path in the distance. It exits the forest to the southeast. >D You climb down the tree... The forest has become really dense here. The smell of dry branches and the hooting of birds surround you, making you feel a little claustrophobic. You see: Susan, a sturdy tree. Exits: Southeast, Southwest, Up. >SE You're pleased to find yourself on the correct path. You make your way out of the forest as quickly as possible. Getting out of the forest is a relief. However, you soon come to a treacherous bit of path... This narrow path to the south of the forest becomes even narrower as it wends its way around the side of a vertical cliff. You try not to look at the sharp drop to your right or to calculate how far down it is to the bottom of the valley below. There have been a few tragedies along this route - usually in winter weather, but even so... The path forms steps down in the middle of this section, which are narrow and crumbling. You see: Susan, some crumbling steps. Exits: Down. >X STEPS You feel really nervous about traversing this section. Those crumbling steps are going to be really tricky to get down, especially in the dark, and especially with Susan feeling so tired! >TURN ON LAMP You already switched the headlamp on when it got dark. >TALK TO SUSAN 'Perhaps having our poles would help here?' suggests Susan. >TAKE POLES You already have the walking poles. >GIVE POLES TO SUSAN Susan doesn't need that - she has her own pack of stuff with her. >SAVE QUESTION -> Save Game Save Game >1 ANSWER -> 1 QUESTION -> Overwrite Contents of Save Slot 1? Overwrite Contents of Save Slot 1? >1 ANSWER -> yes Saved Game In Slot 1 >D You need to find some way of descending the steps before you can continue down along the trail. >CLIMB DOWN STEPS You can't see any down here. >TAKE POLES You already have the walking poles. >USE POLES How do you want to use the poles? Be more specific. >PUT POLES ON STEP You can't put that there. >PUT POLES ON STEPS You can't put that there. >X STEPS Those steps still look really dangerous! >TALK TO SUSAN 'Perhaps having our poles would help here?' suggests Susan. >TAKE POLES You already have the walking poles. >GIVE POLES TO SUSAN Susan doesn't need that - she has her own pack of stuff with her. >X SUSAN You can barely see Susan's face, as the bright light from her headlamp is blinding when you look in her direction. >X STEPS Those steps still look really dangerous! >CLIMB STEPS You test each crumbling stone with your poles before you step onto it. A brief lapse of concentration nearly makes you lose your footing, but Susan calls out and grabs your arm before you fall! Thank goodness you've got two headlamps to light the way... Working together, you make it the rest of the way down. >D You see: Susan. Exits: Up. You arrive at the finish area around mid-morning, tired and stiff. You're nowhere near the time you wanted or expected. But as the finish line comes into view, Susan breaks into a broad, relieved smile... then a slow, shuffling jog, then somehow, a run you can barely keep up with. You cross the line together, laughing, and it suddenly, finally feels like the old days again. Times and finish positions don't matter anymore. You made it before the cutoff, and today that's enough. Sitting together in the sunshine, Susan finally explains why she's been so tired during the race. She's not well, she says, and she's not going to get better. She didn't - couldn't - tell you before, but this was her last mountain race. She just wanted to finish one last time. With you. It takes you a long time to process Susan's words and to focus on spending the time you need to spend with her. For many years afterwards, you believe that Merrithorne was your last mountain, too. That the mountains were something you shared with Susan, and now that part of your life is over. But eventually, you find yourself returning. New friends accompany you on your adventures now - but old friends' voices forever linger in your ears, spurring you on along the mountain trail. The End Your race is run. << START >> When a white arrow appears on the screen, press the down key to continue reading the text. When a yellow box flashes on the screen, like this, press enter or click the mouse to continue. The Last Mountain © Dee Cooke 2023 | Created for ParserComp 2023 Version 0.1.2 | Adventuron 1.0.0 Beta 78 Adventuron system created by Chris Ainsley (https://adventuron.io) In-game font: 'Courier New' Cover font: 'Dream Orphanage' Cover image and design by Dee Cooke, with a little help from GIMP Playtesting by Geth Rees QUESTION -> Have you played parser-based text adventures or interactive fiction before? Have you played parser-based text adventures or interactive fiction before? >1 ANSWER -> 0 Type HELP during the game for help. Type HINT for a hint. Type V or VERBS to see all the verbs you need to use in the game. Type OPTIONS for help with toggling the display settings. A game guide is available on the Itch game page. Type TSTART to start a transcript and TSTOP to stop it. All transcripts, comments, bug reports and other feedback are welcome! Please send them to sparklecloud@hotmail.com. Some tips for navigating the Merrithorne race... Save frequently. Decisions are often irreversible on the mountain... ...or don't. This too will end, one way or another. 'Relentless forward motion', as the ultra-running experts like to say. You can go forward along the trail, but not back. Some races end more satisfyingly than others - it's a lot more complicated than winning or losing. Sometimes things are out of your control and all you can do is your best. There's no undo or rollback here - the race is the race. But as this is a short game, you can always try again... Funnily enough, there was once a time you didn't know Susan, though you hardly remember it now. 'It's not the result, but rather the adventure along the way.' That was what Eric always used to say. He was your old running mentor, the one who introduced you to Susan in the first place. He said you'd both enjoy these long mountain races more if you ran them together, because you'd get on like a house on fire. Eric was right, like always. You've run all your mountain races with Susan ever since. Eric has long since gone to the great mountain in the sky. You still hear his voice when you're on the trail, urging you to take it easy and enjoy the experience. But you have to admit, these days, you like a good result too. You finished fourth place in the Merrithorne Mountain Race last year, Susan just behind you in fifth. Can you do better this time and get on the podium? At least, that's what you thought when you started the race this morning. For the umpteenth time this hot afternoon, you turn a hundred and eighty degrees on the spot, your trail shoes making an irritated crunching sound in the dry gravel; you wait for a few minutes, trying your absolute hardest not to appear unhappy or worried or (god forbid) impatient, as Susan struggles up the steep mountain trail below you. You are worried, of course, because it was just a couple of short months ago that she was happily chatting away, almost outpacing you, even, as you trained together on your local hills, and now she hasn't spoken in the last hour, and she hasn't had any appetite all day... and that cough of hers is getting worse. Susan coughs. 'Sorry. Won't be a minute.' 'It's okay,' you say doubtfully. 'Let's... take a break. We're out of water anyway - we should find a stream.' The trail flattens out here, just before a small wooden bridge crossing a gorge with a stream at the bottom. You remember from previous years that the stream is usually fairly deep, but it's barely a trickle at the moment - the weather has been unusually dry over the last month and the mountain has suffered for it. You see: Susan, a trickle of water. Exits: Up. >TSTOP